Monster In The Mirror
by livvyham
Summary: Girl!Stiles After being kidnapped in the beginning of the war against the alphas, Stiles is forced to make a decision that would never allow her to go back to her pack. Will she stain her soul and become a monster, or will she allow her worst nightmare to come true?
1. Chapter 1

The horrid pain that was coursing through her body was the first thing that registered in Stiles' mind. Positive that she was bruised, possibly now with added broken bones, Stiles' body ached more than it ever had before. Her muscles were cramping with the prolonged positioning but she couldn't move and stretch, instead forced to endure the spurts of pain that her body went through.

Mouth dripping with blood from her cut tongue after biting it while getting punched, she was unable to keep her mouth closed, instead letting her head drop down and hang while she kept her eyes closed, jaw almost uncomfortable as she kept it slightly open. Hands were tied so tight behind her she swore she was about to lose all circulation. Her legs were similarly tied down to a chair, blood dripping from the grazed skin and causing her to whimper every so often as the rope burn almost became too much to handle.

No one was coming to save her; Stiles knew that it would be too late. She'd been on her way home from a pack meeting after dropping Scott off. She had pulled up into her driveway, getting out of the car only to be grabbed and knocked out with a well-placed punch to the face. Before she knew it she had woken up in this concrete room, the light ahead buzzing in and out every so often and casting everything into darkness.

Her dad was on night shift and not due home until late in the morning, after Stiles was supposed to be at school. He'd probably think that Stiles had gotten a ride with one of her friends – something that had happened a few times with the threat of the alpha pack currently keeping everyone vigilant – and wouldn't start worrying until that afternoon when either Scott came to see if she was home or if she just never called him to let him know where she was. But it would be too late, she just knew it. This had been planned to perfection and it made something inside of Stiles curl up. It meant this wasn't random. It looked like their attempt at keeping each other safe had failed yet again.

The far door opened, spilling in the artificial light that was so much brighter from the hallway and causing Stiles to flinch away, only managing to flare up the pain. She made a hopeless whimper, wishing so hard that the pack could find her or that if they couldn't find her before she died, that they'd look after her dad. The Sheriff would be devastated, but there was nothing Stiles could do. A pair of black boots came into her vision when she decided to lift up her head, and with forced effort she took in the sight of the dark skinned man standing in front, arms folded as he inspected Stiles.

Not a few seconds later another man, one with a full beard of red, and eyes that seemed cruel and gleeful all at once, walked in. He was buzzing with energy as he switched his eyes between Stiles and the other man. The other man had eyes that seemed to try and pierce right into Stiles' soul. It was pitiful compared to the looks Derek had given her, mixing from glares to full out annoyance. But there was more there than Stiles was comfortable with. It was like she was being sized up. She would have tried to break the silence had it not been for her mouth feeling dry and her swollen tongue.

"We picked her up early last night. She comes from a single parent home, only child, from a small area. She has an excellent IQ according to school records and a knack for finding herself in compromising positions with the law." The beard man said, shuffling his feet with unbridled excitement. What was this, some profiling crap? Did they only have a specific type of people they killed?

This was actually a lot worse than what Stiles had thought. They hadn't picked a random kid, they'd looked for her, looked for her type and knew who to target. It was planned worse than she had imagined.

"Who else is interested?" The black man said voice deep and toneless, as if the information didn't bother him either way. What? Was Stiles being prostituted out or something? Because this was getting worse than she had first anticipated. She struggled with the bindings again, hissing at the pain but trying to push past it. It was hopeless, instead just causing herself bigger injuries, her legs dripping blood into her socks. Despite being unable to move and having her mouth out of commission, she'd convey her dislike and hatred through her eyes. She'd managed to get Scott to back off sometimes by her expressions, and Scott was a freaking werewolf, that had to count for something in the threatening department.

"We've got a few others interested including the Gordon's who are quite fascinated with the possibility. But I said that I'd let you have a look first. See if she was what you've been after." The bearded man leered at Stiles; completely ignoring the looks Stiles was sending him. Her glares really weren't that threatening. Why hadn't Derek agreed to help her learn the glare? She'd warned him it might come in handy.

"Tell them to back off. She's mine." The darker man nodded, reaching his decision and then looking over at the bearded man. The man was grinning so widely, showing off yellowing teeth and barely containing his excitement. This was confusing Stiles, but her mouth wouldn't work properly to ask what she wanted to know. Stiles didn't belong to anyone. Well, maybe the pack, but the pack as a whole. She didn't belong to Derek, not how she wanted to, but even with Derek as the alpha it didn't mean Derek owned her. Pack was family so it was different. But this, this wasn't making any sense to Stiles.

"I'll get the paper work sorted and then transport." The bearded man nodded before exiting the room and closing the door behind him. There was a pause where the dark man was still watching Stiles, as if gauging her reaction. Stiles was mad, like extremely angry. These people were dangerous and she just wanted to understand what was going on.

"You're mine now. It's a lot to take in, but trust me; we'll be fighting against a cause together. I'll train you, make you stronger than ever, and in return your family will be looked after. But if you try to go against me, there will be hell to pay." With that he turned around and left the room, leaving a confused Stiles behind. What the hell was going on?

* * *

**A/N ~ **AND SHE LIVES!Hey guys! Thanks to all the people who encouraged me to start working on something to put out. This has been on the backburner for so long, and I was questioning whether or not to do it, but I have! Buckle your seat belts for a long ride because this one is feeling like it might go on forever.

We all know I love Girl!Stiles, and frankly I've been itching for some a badass mofo girl!Stiles for a while. I decided to write my own. I've rated it M (and I bet everyone is wanting some porn) more for graphic depictions of violence (not that I'll write anything well enough for it to count). The possibility of porn is definitely something I'm considering. This is actually a Sterek fic, not a pre-sterek, but it's going to be a slow build.

My author notes are always ridiculously long because I just want to tell you all everything and get excited because I think I might be out of my writing slump and YES. This is good! I'm writing again!

Also note that the title for the fic comes from Usher's 'More'. I really love me some Usher.


	2. Chapter 2

Stiles was sitting in a room, a bed in the corner along with a desk in the other. No windows and only one door. It was a pale white room, and it made Stiles think of a prison cell. This was her new prison. They'd knocked her out with a needle this time and she had woken up who knows how long ago, on a bed, body patched up and making her even more confused. The darker man had started with making things confusing. She was pretty sure this wasn't a prostitution institution because the man had said something about fighting a cause together. Stiles didn't understand. It was confusing and she just wanted answers or to just go home.

The door opened and Stiles jumped up, wary as the darker man walked inside and closed the door behind him. He watched Stiles with a calculated look, taking her in and making Stiles feel extremely uncomfortable underneath the gaze. She shuffled back until she was sitting on the bed and she pushed himself as far from the man as she could. Stiles was weak, just a measly human with no strength at all, except running away and her ability to talk the crap out of anyone. She and Derek had been working on it, although that had been going extremely terribly. Her chance of surviving was severely low in a fight at the moment.

"Who are you? Where am I? What the hell am I doing here? Why won't you let me go?" Once Stiles got started, it was hard for her to stop. "What is with these white walls anyway? I mean, I understand if we're going for the whole, you-are-a-prisoner-and-therefore-you-should-constantly-be-reminded look, but it's a seriously old and overused look. Windows would have been a nice touch, maybe with bars too, as something more intended to remind me about freedom and how I have no freedom or choices or whatever."

The man raised an eyebrow to Stiles' rambling, even if they did sound a bit funny what with her tongue not working quite well. But there was only so long Stiles could stay quiet, pain or not. She wanted answers, and she wasn't going to waste time by not getting straight to the heart of everything. Going on a tangent was just a unavoidable side-effect of letting the words flow.

The man walked closer, noticing Stiles flinch backwards, before perching on the desk and smirking at Stiles in a way that had pure fear coiling in her stomach. It was scarier than how Peter would look at Stiles, and when you looks scarier than an insane zombie werewolf, you know something is extremely wrong.

"I didn't realize you had such a mouth." Was all the man said, and seriously? Did he not listen to a thing that Stiles had just asked? There were like a million questions he could have answered and they would have all been better than noticing the freaking obvious.

"Yeah, well I didn't realize I was getting kidnapped, but surprise! Here I am, and now I'd really appreciate to know what the fuck is going on here." She kept it a bit shorter, hoping maybe she could just learn a bit more about the situation she was in. The trembling was unavoidable in her voice, but Stiles chose to ignore the slight show of weakness and real fear.

"My name is Zander Tobias. I'm a werewolf hunter." He said simply, eyes careful as if wanting to know Stiles' reaction to the hunter part. Stiles decided to play it dumb, especially since the man seemed wary of her reaction. Did this man not know she was part of a pack? In that case she needed to protect her pack from crazy, creepy hunter dude.

"You think you're a werewolf hunter? How about a psycho man who kidnaps teenager girls and tries to make them crazy too! Is this some secret asylum that tries to make serial killers or something?" Stiles spluttered, eyes wide at the gall of the man just coming out with something like that. Who did this guy think he was to just kidnap people and then spring this on them? Imagine one of the Argents just randomly saying that to a person on the street. Only incredibly stupid people or incredibly insane people did things like that. Stiles was scared which category this man fell into.

"Forget about what you previously knew about the world, because I'm here to explain to you how things really are. Werewolves are real, and not the fun cuddly ones that Twilight seems to think exist, but the monsters that haunt nightmares. And I hunt them. Scoff all you want, but you're about to become a hunter too." That made Stiles blanch slightly. What. The. Fuck.

"I'm pretty sure that I'm not going to follow your fairy tale adventure and end up in the loony bin." She argued, the bad feeling in her stomach multiplying the longer that Zander stared at her. She curled up; knees huddled under her chin while watching him warily.

"But you are, Stiles, because if you don't, something might happen to those you love. We've done some work and I've found out all those you care about. First off, there is your best friend Scott McCall. Lop-sided jawed kid with terrible grades but seems to be doing well on the lacrosse team. What if something happened to him? Do you want that on your conscious?" That was plain dirty. Stiles' heart beat fast, wondering if they had been following the pack. If he was a werewolf hunter, didn't that mean her pack was in trouble?

"You wouldn't." She whispered, disbelief echoing in her tone.

"Maybe not Scott since he is so very young, but your dad on the other hand. He's a Sheriff and everyone knows there are hazards associated with his line of work. That could easily be arranged." Zander looked at her seriously, seeing her go pale and tense. "I don't want to have to hurt your family and friends, Stiles, but I won't have disobedience. Right now you might not believe in the supernatural, but I'm still going to train you up. You're going to become a hunter, a protector of humans from werewolves. Rest up. Training starts tomorrow."

The hunter stood up and left the room, the lock clicking loudly and Stiles finally allowed herself the chance to cry. He'd just threatened her father, the one person on the earth that Stiles would do anything for. There was no way in hell that she would ever risk his life, even by threats. She was screwed unless the pack could find her, and right now she had a bad feeling that they wouldn't be able to.

* * *

_6 months later_

Stiles arms were tied up to the pole, her pale back open to the air aside from her small sports bra. Her fingers went white from the grip she had on the ropes. She was gritting her teeth, waiting impatiently for the pain to start. She'd screwed up, so close to freedom, before it had been ripped from beneath her. Six months she had been working towards this plan, ready to get back to her family and pack, but Zander had caught her. And now she was to be punished.

"That was a stupid mistake, trying to escape. You prove you have intelligence and yet you don't work hard for the cause! You aren't stupid, Stiles, not in the slightest, and yet you choose to act stupid when we've clearly shown you the existence of werewolves! This isn't a game, Stiles; people's lives are at stake. You're half-hearted with your training, always running your mouth, but I've had enough of it." Zander's voice was filled with disappointment and fury, making Stiles closed her eyes in slight panic. She'd attacked two hunters before she'd been beaten down, no chance of escape. She'd seen the gleeful expression in Zander as he realized that Stiles had acted aggressive, despite it being their own men, but then the anger had come and Stiles was slightly regretting not having a better plan.

A crack sounded and Stiles heard the noise before she felt the pain. It exploded on her back, the whip ripping through skin so easily and causing her to scream out. One, she thought morosely, knowing that she would get at least 15. She gritted her teeth just as the whip came down again and again, ripping his back to shreds and causing her to cry out in pain.

Tears flowed down her face, faster than the blood down her back. She had been so close, so close to escaping but she had been caught. Zander was trying to make her learn how to be a hunter, more lethal than the Argents were and teaching more brutal than was even legal. Zander was trying to teach her how to kill her family, and Stiles couldn't do it. So she pretended to be bad, never tried in practice, careless with a gun, terrible with a knife. Her one on one fighting skills were non-existent and her bow and arrow skills made her a danger to everyone including herself. She couldn't let them see that she was learning. She refused to learn how to kill her pack.

Shaking, sobbing and limp against the whipping pole, Stiles felt completely and utterly alone. It had been six months of the abuse and hatred for those she loved. She clung to her memories, running her mouth to irritate and annoy her captor in an attempt to get her sent home or for them to kill her. Stiles didn't want to become a monster like Zander, didn't want to be forced into this lifestyle. Yet here she was, the lessons being drilled into her so hard she felt unable to escape.

"You need to stop fighting me. I warned you when I first got you that you were mine and if you went against me your family would pay the consequences. I think it's time for something to happen to your father. He's a Sheriff, right? What would happen if there was a gunman keeping him hostage and shot him in the chest? He doesn't have the best of health so who knows if he would even survive." Zander's voice was whispered right into her ear, causing Stiles to gasp out and thrash against the bindings.

"No! Please, no! You wouldn't!" Stiles practically begged, her voice haggard as the emotions ran through her. She couldn't stop the tears and she looked at the man who held so much life in his hands. They had her, right where they wanted her. They could control her because Stiles would do whatever she could for those she loved.

"I will if you don't fucking start working harder! I don't care about your father at all, but I told you if you work hard then he will always be looked after and kept safe. So stop fucking around and learn! My patience is running thin and I have no qualms about your father dying. I own you, which means you need these skills. What are you going to do if a werewolf attacks you? You'll be helpless unless you pay attention. You could be strong, almost invisible. Nothing could hurt you. You'd be the strongest and the biggest predator out there. Undefeatable."

"P-please don't make me. Don't hurt him, but let me go. I-I don't want to be here." She couldn't stop the words escaping her throat, gasping between sobs at the pain from her back and in her heart from the thought of her father being hurt. He was already hurt without Stiles, her being kidnapped, but she couldn't let him get hurt further, especially because of her actions. This was breaking her.

"I. OWN. YOU! Nothing you say will make me let you go. You will learn to hunt and you will try your hardest. You have so much potential that you're just throwing away! You have the potential to becoming the best hunter, a lethal weapon. I want that. I will do whatever I have to in order to make you listen and obey! If that means killing your father myself, or even dragging him along and torturing him to encourage you to work harder, I'll do it!" Zander hissed into her ear and she shuddered, crying harder as her body shook from the image.

"No, please no." She whispered and Zander moved away slightly as if inspecting her back. The whip nudged her destroyed back, causing her to scream and flinch away from the touch. Blood dripped down steadily, and she was almost positive there would be scaring from the injuries.

"Always remember the power I hold, Stiles. The hunters have a strong network, and if I think for one second that you aren't pushing yourself enough, I'll have him injured. You slack off, he might suddenly get shot in the knee and be in perpetual pain and unable to work. After that I might have him badly beaten. I know a lot of ways to hurt someone without killing them, Stiles, and I will employ them. Do you understand?" Stiles nodded, unable to see from the tears. "Good. Are you going to work hard now?" Again she nodded and Zander grunted in approval before untying her and ordering his other hunters to patch her up.

Stiles didn't move, didn't do anything but let herself be carried. Her heart was bleeding faster than her back, the pain dulling as she focused on her father's face in her mind. They had her. They had so much power over and there was nothing she could do except follow along. Stiles had to now that she knew that they'd show no mercy except if they got what they wanted. Stiles would do whatever they said as long as it would protect those she loved. It was all she had control over anymore. She was going to become a monster.

**A/N **Hey guys, here's the next part! I'm just really setting it up at the moment, really giving you an idea of how Stiles sees everything. I'm only focusing on Stiles' perspective of events. It's going to be a while until we even have her and Derek interact, so just bear with me!

As always, loving the reviews/favorites/follows. What do you guys think is going to happen? What do you want to happen? Let me know!


	3. Chapter 3

_A year later_

There was so much noise in the field, so many things going on at once as Stiles walked through. Usually all the commotion would be enough for her to have her head flicking around, her ADHD making it impossible for her to not get distracted, but her life had forced the need to beat the desire down. At 17 and a half years of age, Stiles had learned that there was little the Tobias family would put up with, her ADHD being one of them, along with her constant chatter. Things were a lot different now. Stiles didn't really talk anymore, almost too fearful to let anything out in case she gave one word wrong, just one word, that would prove fatal for her father. There was nothing she wouldn't do to keep him safe, and the Tobias' exploited that fully.

They had coerced Stiles into participating in what was known as the Hunter Games. It was pretty much a large scale gathering of hunters to show off their families and their skills. It was the perfect place for hunters to also make friendships and treaties, swap stories and become familiar with the newest techniques in hunting. To say the least, it scared the crap out of Stiles.

"Today's the day we finally get to show off your abilities and let the other hunters see how good you are. Maybe then they'll start respecting us more." Zander muttered quietly in her ear as they crossed the large field, other hunters noticing them and whispering to the side, obviously making jokes at their expense. Zander had a hard expression on his face, his distaste for his family's reputation on the back of his mind. To hunters, the family name was everything. Reputation was important as it allowed hunters to know who was the best, who was the strongest and who not to get in the way of. The Tobias family had no such reputation.

Zander had preached to Stiles a million times about the importance of family and had retold more times about the Tobias history. It was apparent that Zander wasn't proud of his family's history. The Tobias family had become hunters back in the 1800s, over in New York. In the beginning they had been strong and fearsome, creating a great name for themselves, but in time they had fizzled out to become the joke of the hunting community. When Zander had gone into the Hunter Games, he had been training hard and managed to grab some of the family name, but not soon afterwards, his father died suddenly of a heart attack, leaving Zander at age 24 in charge of the hunting family. As the sole surviving member of the Tobias family, it now consisted of a mix of people not related by blood, which some of the older families saw as second class.

Blood was everything to the old hunting families, creating exclusivity and almost a royal-like presence in the hunting community. The oldest hunting family, the Petrovs, were an old Russian family with a long line of hunting that could be traced all over Europe for centuries. They claimed to be an original hunting family from the beginning of time, and were known for their ruthlessness and abilities. A couple of other families had similar prestige associated with their name, but none were as revered as the Petrovs.

As they walked past tents of families, Stiles couldn't help but glance over at the biggest tent, noticing others doing the same. The Petrovs seemed to preen at the attention of others, smirking at those who seemed to stop and stare and flexing around like peacocks. Zander only grunted in irritation, but Stiles saw the longing on his face. There was no doubt in Stiles' mind that he wanted to be part of that alliance.

While glancing discretely at the various family symbols that announced other families, Stiles barely contained herself from standing in shock as she saw a familiar symbol stitched proudly onto a tent. The Argent crest stood high and proud in the sunlight, a few hunters that were unrecognisable to Stiles standing around the tent. Zander must have noticed her eyes straying to the tent, and he looked over to see what had caught her eye.

"That's the Argent family. Tragic story, that one. They've had a rough past few years, losing some of the best hunters I've seen in a long time. First Kate, possibly the greatest huntress I've ever had the pleasure of laying my eyes on, then Gerard who was the leader, only a few years ago. His eldest son, Chris, pulled out of the business claiming retirement after his wife was murdered. I think he might have lost it a bit. Losing that much family can do that to a man. The family is now run by Gerard's nephew, Marcus. He isn't as visionary and strategic as Gerard, but enough to keep his name pretty untainted." There was a hint of jealousy in Zander's tone as they walked past. Stiles couldn't stop her pounding heart, reminded of all the mayhem that had transpired not a few years in the past that she had been part of. But she was snapped out of her thoughts as they stopped in front of their own tent.

The Tobias family wasn't overly large, only four other people in the main family besides Zander. Being without a wife or blood successor, Zander had decided that the Tobias family should only be in name rather than blood. He had since only chosen those with promise or trained those with promise. Diablo, a nickname given to Carlos after he came from a kill covered in blood and looking like the devil himself, was a Spanish born Immigrant who had lost his brother to werewolves over a decade ago, discovering the hunting life and throwing himself into his revenge. When he was trained up, he'd met Zander and they'd hit it off, enough for Zander to invite him into the family.

The tall female with spiked blonde hair was Blade, loud and opinionated. Her real name was Lana, but she had been nicknamed after her preference for knives and swords. She was swift and quick; a necessity for working with her chosen weapons. After her family had been killed in a hunting accident, Zander had offered her a place within his own fold. It hadn't taken her long to start sleeping with Diablo.

Standing against one of the poles was Ben, relatively new compared to the others except Stiles. He'd been kicked out of his code following family after showing a brutality they weren't prepared for. It had seemed perfect to Zander who had swept him into the family, enjoying the lack of morals that the boy had. Dark haired with dark eyes, evil just seemed to radiate from the relatively quiet boy, a smirk on his face that screamed danger. Unfortunately, he seemed to have taken an interest in Stiles, the only thing stopping him from pursuing being Zander's rules that had Stiles focusing solely on her training and not being distracted. There were small miracles in Stiles' life, that being one of them.

The final member of their team was Cricket, the oldest member. He had been in the family as long as Zander had been alive, having been second in command to Zander's father. He had been Zander's teacher, imparting all of his knowledge and loyal solely to the Tobias family. Stiles had never learned his real name, only knowing him as the brutal and unforgiving teacher responsible for many of her punishing injuries and scars that littered her body.

The main part of their family was small, but because of their small numbers they were like a well-oiled machine, working together like a puzzle. Stiles had yet to go on a hunt yet, something she was dreading, and these games were meant to indicate if she was ready or not. Zander was especially excited because he believed her to be the answer to the Tobias' reputation. He had told her on the sly that usually they didn't bring out training hunters until they'd had a solid few years of practice, but Stiles had become an exceptional case because she'd been working hard. It just put more pressure on Stiles who was convinced that if she didn't perform well, her father would be the one to suffer.

There were others that worked for the family, but they were hired help that had no affiliation with families. It had been the hired help that Stiles had attacked while attempting to escape a year ago, the scars aching with phantom pain at the thought of how close she had come to escaping. Had she attacked a member of the official family, she wasn't sure what the consequences would have been. Although, back then the amount of injury she could have given them would have easily been defended against. Now she could easily beat their asses. Not that she would dare, especially since they had such power over her.

"We need to go sign her up." Blade yawned as soon as they got to the tent, stretching herself out and lazing back in her chair, ordering the other boys to fix up the tent and set up everything, as if she was in charge. She probably thought she was, too. "But we can't use her real name. We don't want another issue like that one a few years past."

A few years previously a boy named Leo Donald had been taken from his family and inserted into another hunting family, similar to Stiles. At the Hunter Games he'd done well, but it had been revealed that he had been kidnapped from his family. A young family that had been edging between code followers and not had decided to alert the authorities. It had taken a long time for everything to get settled and calm. The outcome had never been told to Stiles, and she wasn't certain if that was because Leo had been allowed back home or if he was dead. She didn't really want to know the truth.

"Zemsta." Stiles piped up, feeling all eyes suddenly fall on her. Since she barely spoke nowadays they tended to pay more attention to when she let words slip. Her eyes went downcast almost instantly when she realised she had grabbed everyone's attention. There was a moment of pause as everyone focused on what she had said.

"I've never heard that name before." Diablo spoke, looking at Stiles carefully as if sizing her up. "Is that even a name?" He asked, arms crossed as he stared Stiles down.

"It's Polish." She spoke softly back, her voice quiet in the tent and barely audible over the noise going on in the field. Her Polish heritage was important to her, and she knew that is she had to lose her name, she needed something else to hold onto that would help keep her sane.

"What does Zemsta even mean?" Ben asked, quirking an eyebrow and forcing Stiles to continue speaking, seeing her discomfort. Stiles' mind worked fast, trying to figure out a good way to spin it before it suddenly came to her.

"Retribution." And then she looked at the rest of the camp, refusing to meet the eyes of the family. Her heart pounded in her chest, worried that maybe it would be too revealing to her desire to leave this family. Anything she did that would alert them to her trying to escape would end up killing her father no doubt. She was toeing the line here.

"I like it." Zander finally agreed, getting a confused noise from a few of them. "Think about it. Retribution to the wolves, and retribution to the other hunting families who laugh at us and joke around about us as if we're nothing. Zemsta is going to be our saving grace." Zander clapped his hand, making it clear that it was final.

"It does give her a bit of a mysterious persona. People will look twice with the unfamiliar name. It could work." Blade finally admitted, getting a nod from Zander that signalled her to go sign Stiles up. The rest of the group walked past to go do whatever task had been assigned, Stiles still trying to get over the fact that she had gotten the okay with her new name.

"Don't think I'm not on to you." Ben whispered into her ear when he passed by, giving her a dark look that was far from the seductive smirks he had flashed her in the past. She knew she had to be careful of that one if she was ever to survive. Holding back a shiver, Stiles went and sat in Blade's old seat, hoping that today she wouldn't screw up. But what really had shaken her was the fact that she had slipped this past them.

Stiles' new name was special and held special meaning to her. Zemsta loosely meant retribution, but it wasn't the definition she was focused on. Zemsta meant revenge, and not revenge on the wolves. Revenge on those who had stolen her and threatened her family. A fire was burning her heart, and it would stay there until she was ready to pounce. She wasn't Stiles any longer. She was Zemsta.

**A/N **I had not forgotten about this story! Life just got a little bit hectic and I needed to concentrate elsewhere for a while. I do have plans to continue this story, and I'm sorry if it's a bit too slow for you all. This is about Stiles at the moment, and I feel it's important with getting to know the person she is becoming. I take a lot of liberties with Stiles, so hopefully I don't irritate anyone too much with my take on her.

I actually originally wanted to make this chapter longer, but I started explaining stuff too much and it just wasn't practical. I'm working on the next chapter, so hopefully that will be out swiftly, although I make no promises!

What are you guys feeling with this? I live for feedback, because honestly I want to get better at this, and I love knowing where I'm at. Does this make sense so far? Any expectations for what's going to happen? Let me know! Thanks for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

"You need a look." Blade was looking at Stiles critically, eyes squinted as if trying to figure her out. Taken back by the comment, Stiles froze, wondering what Blade was going on about. "I think you need a style to match your new name. Something that will have people looking twice and really knowing who you are. Something that they'll always associate with Zemsta."

"I think she looks pretty good already." Ben purred from his corner, leering heavily at Stiles and causing her to shudder internally. It was extremely unnerving, but Stiles refused to react outwardly to his creepiness. Despite how much he scared her, she was unwilling to let him know.

"Shut up, asshole." Blade spat at him, completely unimpressed with his comment, turning back to Stiles to stare yet again. "I think I have an idea." She muttered half to herself, fingers tapping thoughtfully against her chin.

"It's a bit late for a shopping trip." Cricket commented as he walked past, seeming amused by Blade's expression.

"I can work with what I've got. Anything is better than what she's wearing now anyway." Blade motioned at what Stiles was currently in, causing Stiles to gape like a fish. It wasn't anything horrible, just nothing highly fashionable. It was hard to be fashionable while training anyway and having no access to clothing stores. She was just in a pair of old jeans, a white shirt and her hair in a ponytail. The most fashionable thing about her would be her new black combat boots, but that was it.

Standing up swiftly, Blade started rummaging through her things, making irritated noises until triumphantly pulling out a black t-shirt in her hand, throwing it to Stiles. She continued on her search, throwing things everywhere and yelling at the boys to leave so she could surprise them. That only managed to further scare Stiles. The flap to the tent was secured down, leaving Stiles alone with the determined Blade.

It was less than an hour until Blade seemed pleased with what she had turned Stiles into. The scary gleam in Blade's eyes only caused Stiles to be more wary, thankful that Blade had only been able to work with a limited amount of things. She called out to the boys, pulling the tarp from the area that Stiles had been changing and pushing Stiles out into the sunlight. The late morning sun was a bit bright and she had to blink a few times before she could see the boys' expressions.

All of them seemed a bit taken back by how she looked, eyebrows raised in surprise. No one seemed to be laughing at Stiles which meant that maybe it wasn't as bad as she had first thought. Blade was an over packer when it came to clothes, especially when she was in a place where people would be able to see her. Vain and prideful, the girl had shoved everything she thought she could possibly need for the day, knowing that they were only going to be here for two days. It had worked in Stiles favour though.

The white shirt had been replaced with a simple black t-shirt, too small on Blade which made it just right for Stiles. It was even a little tight around her chest which pleased Blade to no end. The old jeans had been ripped up with disgust, Blade simply stating that anyone who represented the family and her needed to care more about their attire to not embarrass them. Dark pants were in place instead, not tight but not as baggy as the old pair that Stiles had lived in for so long. The combat boots seemed to gleam in the sunlight and were definitely stylish enough to make her outfit look good.

But the crowning glory, according to Blade, was her neck up. Having been attacked mercilessly with make-up, Stiles had endured the torture that resulted in her new look. Her eyes were outlined with dark pencil, making her whiskey eyes pop out and giving her a slightly exotic look if Blade was to be believed. Hair out, it was kept back off her face by the black beanie cap that was snug against her head. It half shadowed her face, keeping the sun out and her face hidden at times, which Blade was convinced would give her a better aura of mystery.

"What do you think? Am I a miracle worker or what!" Blade cackled gleefully, hands clapping and seeming completely confident that she had fixed Stiles up.

"It's definitely an improvement." Cricket commented, nodding before leaving with disinterest.

"You are amazing, baby." Diablo cooed his girlfriend, sweeping her up into a kiss that was noisy and completely disgusting to Stiles.

"I didn't think it was possible, but you are so much prettier." Ben gave a dark chuckle before wandering off, giving her a wink that made Stiles feel slimy. Zander looked happy with the look, his broad grin just seeming to jump off his face. It was unnerving to Stiles who had never witnessed him so happy like he was now.

"A new name, a new look, a new contender." He whispered before he let his voice raise ever so slightly. "A new reputation. You're going to do amazing today, Zemsta. I just know it. The Tobias name will stop being laughed at, I feel it in my bones. Don't let me down."

The 'or else' didn't need to be verbalised in order to scare Stiles.

* * *

A loud bugle sounded not soon after, announcing the first event was about to start. Zander collected Stiles and they walked to an adjacent field where various things were set up in preparation. Everyone began gathering towards where several bullseyes were set up, letting Stiles know her archery was up first. Bows and arrows weren't Stiles' strength, but she was confident that she would at least be decent at it.

Once all the competitors were there, varying in ages and sizes, they were split into groups of eight, going in knock-out rounds until they had fifteen left for the final round. Each participant got three arrows to show off their skills, set a good distant away from the target. The majority of spectating would be done during the final rounds since that was what people cared about. It was a big deal to get into that top group since those consisted of the best.

It was obvious that Zander was desperate for Stiles to at least get it that far, seeming more nervous than Stiles was. In truth, this didn't mean much to her, but Zander was set on getting his families reputation out of the mud. The rest of the family seemed to also be on edge as they stood around in support, constantly reminding her of checking her wind speed before she shot, the flaws of her bow and telling her how to focus. It would have been amusing to see them nervous had Stiles not known what was really at stake here. If she did well, it meant they would be less inclined to injure her father, and he was the sole reason she was still here. An embarrassing performance could possibly prove detrimental in her endeavour.

Swept off to one of the edge targets, Stiles lined up alongside a range of people. With the Hunter Games, it was based on how long you were training full time along with how well you did. Learning the hunting skills for only a year was impressive, but it was also dangerous as it meant others had longer to perfect their archery skills. It was a risk that could pay out big if it worked, and Stiles prayed desperately that it would work out for her father's sake. A happy Zander meant the Sheriff was safe.

The group she was in turned out not to be that great, and Stiles swiftly won with ease, her arrows smacking the bullseye with every shot. The closest was a twenty year old male who managed to hit the bullseye once and the board the rest of the time. Some participants were so nervous that they completely missed the board. Zander was grinning widely as she advanced to the next round.

The rounds were moving swiftly as everyone waited impatiently for the final fifteen. Again, Stiles was able to focus and smack her arrows directly in the target, perfectly placing her arrows in the bullseye. Whispers started about the mystery girl from the Tobias family, making Zander almost vibrate in happiness. It didn't take long for Stiles to advance to the semi-final round before the top fifteen.

Without missing a beat, Stiles managed to come out victorious in the semi-finals for her group, even managing to beat one of the Petrov contenders, causing a gasp to go through the crowd. Choosing to ignore those who were taking sudden interest in her, Stiles kept herself quiet and stuck close to Zander, letting him absorb all of their interest. Blade whispered excitedly to Zander that they all seemed intrigued, especially with how stylish she looked.

It came to the final round, and Stiles was really feeling the stares now. Diablo slipped her some special black arrows to use, all having a bright stripe of red, the personalised arrows causing more whispered. The other fourteen seemed proud of getting to the round, standing tall and confident if not a little cocky. There were four Petrovs in the fifteen, the twenty year old Evan being the favourite. Out of the fifteen, three came from relatively new hunting families, ten from the old families and two from in between families. Stiles categorized herself into the in between family. There were also five girls who had made it through which surprised Stiles for a moment before she almost smacked herself for being sexist. Out of all the archers Stiles knew, the best was Allison Argent, and she was a female.

The final round allowed one shot before the worst three got kicked out. One girl became so nervous that she nearly missed the board altogether, something that would have been a scandal for her family. By the first round, Stiles was still in and seeming to really feel the nerves. They continued powering through the rounds, everyone whispering in excitement as it closer to the end. It didn't take long until Stiles suddenly found herself in the final three.

Zander was literally bouncing on his feet at all the attention she was getting. As she came to shoot, Stiles concentrated, knowing that even if she didn't win, she'd caused enough commotion to keep Zander happy. Those thoughts made her lose concentration slightly as she let her arrow fly, causing her to miss the bullseye just slightly and get knocked out of the competition.

It didn't seem to matter at all to Zander who pulled her into a tight and awkward hug, making her stiff and uncomfortable. "It doesn't matter that you didn't come first. I was expecting one of the Petrovs to take it anyway since they're fans of the sport. But third! People are watching you now!" He whispered happily to her, smiling broadly as he dragged her to the tent. A few people stopped to congratulate her but Zander brushed them off, trying to keep that mystery going.

* * *

A quick break and then Stiles was back in another event, one that she felt a lot more confident in. It was the long distance running, using off beaten tracks in the forest that surrounded the fields they were in. Running long distance was something Stiles liked, because she could imagine that it was her running away from her hell, keep her mind focused on other things rather than what she was enduring.

Finishing up fourth was impressive, especially since it seemed hunters didn't separate the males and females. Another short break and then it was the sprints. For some reason Stiles was good at running these quick bursts, probably left over from her time of running away from danger from alphas before she'd been kidnapped, and she managed to come fourth again, first in the females. People were constantly congratulating her, asking about her family. In the past Stiles would have been fine with the talking, but that wasn't what she did anymore. Instead she would nod to Zander who was more than happy to accept the congrats and talk about Stiles.

There were three more events left in the afternoon, the sun bright on Stiles' back. Blade managed to quickly fix up her make-up after the runs, even though Stiles was left in her gross clothes without a chance for a shower. Being in the middle of nowhere meant there wasn't the facilities for showering, only the portable toilets available.

The knife throwing event was a breeze, especially since Blade had taken it upon herself early in Stiles' training to teach her how to use what she believed to be the greatest weapon ever. As she made her way to the final round, Stiles was confident in her abilities, grateful that she had learnt how to block everyone else out, especially since all eyes were focused on her. Without further ado, she threw the knives at the designated targets to hit them perfectly, tuning in just enough to hear the impressive noises from those around her. Despite how good she threw, Stiles managed to come in second, although she didn't feel bad. The winner was a new family whose daughter was twenty one and had been throwing knives longer than Stiles had known about wolves.

The next event was something Stiles had been looking forward to since this was something she felt she was best at. It was the long range shooting and all the hunters were eager to see the outcome. Since guns were the preferred method of hunting, this event was possibly one of the most important. The sun was still strong in the sky by the time they managed to start the event, and Stiles was starting to feel the wear of the day.

Set up far from the targets, each contender was allowed three shots, all paintballs in order to preserve actual bullets. It also allowed people an easier vantage for the spectators. The rounds were similar to that of archery, and Stiles felt at ease as she went up to shoot. There was something about hiding behind a gun, focusing on all variables that come with shooting, that seemed to just ease her mind and body as her concentration was solely focused on the target. It was the closest to peace that Stiles could find in her current world.

The whole world was blocked around her as she shot; hitting so precise that there was a gasp and murmur of appreciation when she returned back to the world, slipping away from the gun without a change of expression. Zander understood that she felt calm behind the gun and was positive in her ability to outshoot the others. He nodded at pride at her, but it did nothing for her. She knew that there really was no glory here, not when everything she'd been taught was about how to hunt the supernatural.

It was a continual cycle for Stiles. She'd go behind the safety of her lens, focus and shoot with perfect accuracy before calmly returning back to her spot beside Zander, completely unaffected by those offering praise. Before she knew it she was in the final two against Evan Petrov. There was a hushed excitement going around the camp as the mysterious contender was up against the family favourite. Stiles refused to pay attention to Evan who seemed to soak up the attention given to him. She listened only to when she needed to shoot before doing her thing and moving away, awaiting for her next opportunity to shoot.

Behind the lens, she watched the target, seeing the bullseye and moving the gun with a practiced fluidity. Taking a deep breath, Stiles imagined it was Zander's head before shooting. Another perfect shot. Moving away silently, Stiles accidently managed to catch Evan's calculated gaze. He winked at her, but she didn't react, instead sitting next to Zander and staring into space. Her lack of reaction seemed to unnerve the boy who lost a bit of his bravado. As he went to shoot, it seemed she had somehow put him on edge enough that he missed the bullseye, making Stiles the winner.

Zander whooped in excitement, extremely happy at her winning one of the most watched events of the day. Already she had completely improved the family name, several hunters having approached Zander and chatting about possible hunts together. There was obvious elation in Zander's eye and even Cricket seemed excited by the possibility of working with other hunters.

The final event was drawing closer and Stiles was really not looking forward to it. Zander had already told her that even if she didn't do well, she'd already done what he'd wanted. Stiles felt calmer at this, knowing that she should still not bomb out in the next event just to keep her name good. Even if it was hand-to-hand combat.

The entire populace of hunters gathered together in anticipation to watch. The arena which was used for fighting was similar to bull fighting rings, set even with a large stand for people to watch the excitement. All weaponry was banned except your own limbs, although there was no limit to what you could do as long as you got your opponent to the ground. Stiles had always been terrible at this, remembering with a sad heart the multiple times that Derek had attempted to teach her basic defence in case of emergency. It had always ended with Stiles sporting too many bruises to count and a frustrated Derek.

Since this was the final event and was at dusk, lights were being set up to keep it illuminated. Diablo went off to find out her schedule while some officials were marking out mini arenas. There were too many people to only have on arena, so they had mini arenas within the main ring until the final round where it was the entire ring.

While watching the arenas marked out with white spray paint, Stiles failed to notice as two men walked over to Zander and her until one of them started talking.

"You're huntress has done extremely well." An older voice said, causing Stiles to turn and face Danil Petrov himself, leader of the entire Petrov family. Evan Petrov stood next to him with a cocky grin, smirking at Stiles as she stayed silent, letting Zander command the conversation.

"Thank you, Danil. Evan here has also done amazing. I haven't seen someone so efficient with a bow in a long time." He nodded to the boy who preened at the attention. He seemed to be a cocky kid, but Stiles remembered that Jackson was a lot worse than this kid could ever be.

"I don't know about that. Zemsta was quite the spectacle herself." Danil offered and Zander grinned widely with pride. None of it affected Stiles outwardly, especially since she was getting a bad vibe from Danil, similar to the one Gerard use to permeate. Before anyone could say more, another voice chimed into the conversation.

"Just who I wanted to see! Evan and Zemsta, the talk of the hunters!" A man walked towards the small group, and Stiles recognised him as Marcus Argent. There were surprising similarities between Marcus and Chris that Stiles felt slightly uncomfortable in his presence.

"Marcus, it's good to see your family out today. It's been a while." Danil told the man, nodding sadly at the man.

"We've been out of commission for a while trying to recuperate after the loss of so many family members. Unfortunately we don't have a trainee at the moment for the games, but we're just taking small steps at the moment. Maybe in another year or two." Marcus lamented, causing a sombre note to fall on the group.

"Well at least your family managed to do some good before they were taken." Zander offered, getting a small smile from Marcus. "I was actually going to ask Kate on a hunt before she was killed."

"Isn't Kate the one who killed that pack of wolves? She managed to infiltrate by some stupid pup and burn their house down. Genius move." Evan jumped in, looking a little bit excited. Stiles felt a burning anger at the boy, hating that she was powerless to do anything at the moment. That 'stupid pup' was her alpha and had suffered so much grief because of the actions of that woman. It made Stiles sick that they could just talk about it without realising that the wolves weren't actually monsters.

"Kate was definitely a conniving bitch." Marcus laughed, getting a chuckle from the others. Stiles wished sometimes that they could have raised her from the dead just so she could have had a chance to beat the woman to death again. The horrors that she had done to the Hales was so terrifying and inhumane that Stiles hoped so much for a hell where that woman could burn and feel the misery and pain that she had inflicted upon others. She deserved nothing less than eternal torment.

"Don't worry, Marcus. In no time at all the Argents will be back in full force." Zander offered, getting a thank you from Marcus before he left to go talk to others. The Petrovs excused themselves right afterwards and Zander nudged Stiles towards where Diablo was waiting with her schedule. The matches were about to start so they hustled Stiles over to her mini arena, Blade coming quickly to fix up her make up once again. A whistle blew loudly to let the competitors know they needed to enter their circles. There was a lot of noise, people not afraid to support their families with this event. Zander gave her a nod, letting her know he was already pleased before she made it into her arena.

It was like fight club, completely brutal and bloody. Hunters had a dark streak even when it came to versing other hunters, pitting their hunters against each other as a source of entertainment. Fighting wasn't Stiles' strength, but she knew the should still do well in this sport. The better the family name, the prouder he got and the nicer he was. She would do the best if only for her father.

The fight was with another girl a few years older than Stiles but completely lacking in good training. It was a quick fight, Stiles managing to not even take a hit. The whistle sounded to finish the round and Stiles moved away, accepting the water offered to her by Cricket. The next few fights were similar, with only one boy managing to get a punch in on her in the last round. It wasn't hard, but there was murmurs from the crowd.

"You're doing well, Zemsta." Cricket whispered to her, fully embracing her new name. "I think the closest to your skill is Evan. He'll make the final for sure." He nodded over to another circle where Evan was confident, smacking a girl down hard. Stiles could still hear his voice calling her alpha a 'stupid pup' and she had an urge to punch him right in his cocky face. It was then and there that she decided she'd make sure she got into the finals if only to verse the boy and kick the crap out of him for being an ass.

With such a focus on her goal. Stiles ripped up in the next rounds, kicking people down swiftly and without causing herself too much harm until she got into the semi-finals. The sun had completely set and everyone was buzzing with excitement. Being the only female left in the competition and the only one not from a major family, she was deemed the underdog and everyone was interested in her progress.

In her circle, Stiles watched her latest opponent for weaknesses, seeing him bouncing on his feet in an attempt to stay light on his feet. His eyes were hard and serious, moving around to keep agile. He got a few punches in swiftly, and Stiles staggered back, only managing to barely avoid a kick that would have had her down. Getting frustrated that she was so close to her goal, Stiles just ran into the boy, shoulder right into the boys' sternum before she punched him in the gut and he fell to the floor, groaning in pain. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Stiles walked out of the circle victorious, noticing that Evan finished up his own fight by punching his opponent so hard that the kid blacked out. He grinned with a bloody lip at the crowd, eyes roaming until they caught her, his face darkening further with a smirk.

There was a fifteen minute break between the final fight since it was supposed to be the biggest match and the fighters needed a chance to rest up. Blade massaged her shoulders like she was about to go into a boxing match while Diablo wiped her face from sweat. Her make-up was once again reapplied, irritating Stiles because she felt it was so unnecessary. Taking a deep drink of water, she focused on her breathing, feeling the adrenaline still pumping in her veins. She was about to have a chance to kick this jerk's ass.

"Beat that punk up, Zemsta." Ben encouraged her, face in a sneer as he looked at Evan. It seemed that even he had managed to notice the slight attraction that Evan had for her, and being a jealous man, he wasn't happy. Stiles ignored him, walking into the circle and watching Evan carefully.

"I must say, I'm surprised you managed to make it this far. You don't seem much of a fighter." Evan told her as they waited for the whistle to blow. They were waiting for the spectators to settle since it seemed one of the most important parts of the match. According to Evan, this meant he had the chance to chat to his opponent, probably an attempt to psych her out. Stiles wasn't interested.

The lack of communication on Stiles' half had Evan smirking, although she knew it was unnerving him. "You're such a pretty girl. Such a shame I have to fight you. How about if I win, I take you out and if you win, I still take you out?" He wiggled his eyebrows, fake leering at her. He was trying to get her worked up, making her angry. Anger would make her sloppy while fighting.

"_Don't just get angry at me! Use that anger to fight back with more control and power!" Green eyes watched her small frame, his dark features looking darker in the warehouse. Stiles stumbled back up after getting knocked down on her ass for the hundredth time. _

"_I'm useless at this! I don't have any power or anything let alone enough anger to fight properly." Stiles moaned to Derek, hands in the air in defeat. Derek shook his head, eyes hard as he stood firm on the spot. _

"_You have to use it, Stiles. Anger is a double edged sword when it comes to fighting. You can either be so consumed with it that it takes over and makes you sloppy, or you focus the energy and make that anger work for you. Utilise it." His voice was hard, tone full of irritation at the amount of times he had reminded her about this. _

"_I swear this is the most you've ever said to me at once. Seriously though, I am absolutely useless at this! There is no way that I'll ever have any fighting qualities in me to be of any use to anyone!" Stiles yelled out angrily, kicking the wall before sliding down to the ground, feeling sorry for herself. _

"_You're quick, Stiles. And unpredictable at times. If you just focused and trained, you could be good." He tried to encourage her but Stiles shook her head sadly. _

"_I swear that was almost a compliment, but you and I both know that I have zero ability to focus on anything for long periods of time, let alone enough concentration to use anger to do my bidding." She had a point, both of them knowing of the reality. Derek shook his head and walked out of the room, pausing briefly at the doorway._

"_If it comes to fighting, just run as fast as you can." _

Stiles blinked back to the present, feeling herself wake up as if from a dream. It was a memory of when Derek had attempted to teach her how to be less useless. Not her finest moment by far, but at the time it had cemented the fact that she and Derek were actually friends. That he actually cared about her surviving. They'd been building a solid, platonic friendship despite Stiles wanting a lot more, but accepting that he was emotionally constipated and this was a huge step forward for him. With the threat of the alpha pack – something that had weighed constantly on the back of her mind – Stiles and Derek had gotten closer. And then she had been taken.

Those lessons, though, she could appreciate what he had been trying to teach her. Derek had focused on his instinct, on being like the wolf that was part of him and Stiles realised he had been right with his teachings. Yes she was quick, she just now needed to utilise that anger and become unpredictable. Then she could win.

Unable to help it, a slow smirk spread across her face, causing Evan to frown ever so slightly in confusion. Before he could ask anything about it, the whistle was blown and they started. Circling each other, Stiles was watching Evan carefully, waiting for an opening. It was quickly clear that he was doing the same, so she feinted forward and he swiftly followed, only she pulled back and punched him hard in the shoulder. He stumbled back, avoiding her second punch to hit her hard in the side. She cringed away, trying to recover, but he didn't give her a chance.

Despite getting the first hit, it was painfully apparent that in no way was she winning. In fact, at the moment she was getting her ass handed to her. Evan kicked her in the leg, damaging her muscle before punching her in the gut and then smacking her head. Stumbling backwards, Stiles spat out blood that started welling in her mouth, watching Evan who seemed a whole lot more cocky than before. Who was she kidding? Fighting wasn't her thing. Derek had been right in telling her that she should just run. But then she remembered the disappointed look in his face when he thought she couldn't learn.

The laugh that Evan gave her sent shivers down her spine and sounded so evil and mocking, that for a moment she had Kate Argent flash through her mind. There were similarities between the two. Both cocky, both full of themselves and both seeing others as monsters despite it being their own reflection. The image of Kate Argent had a rush of anger welling up in her, the injustice of what that woman had done to a happy family, and the fact that Evan thought her a genius for what she had done to Derek. It wasn't right and she wouldn't stand for it.

When his fist came again at her, instead of trying to dodge is, she smashed his elbow hard with her fist, ignoring the pain that echoed through her own knuckles, quickly following it by punching him in the jaw then stomach. Now it was his turn to stumble backwards, but Stiles wasn't stopping. A kick to the gut, punch to the shoulder, then avoiding a grab, she twirled around and pushed him forward as she slipped behind him. He tripped forward, his face red with anger.

Evan ran at her, fists raised, but Stiles was ready. Twisting around, she avoided his attack, punching him hard again in the gut as he passed, nearly tripping him. He came at her with a roar and she knew it was time to finish it. A punch hard to the ribcage had him coughing and spluttering, and without a thought she spun and gave him a vicious roundhouse kick so hard, it literally knocked the snot out of him as her foot collided with his head, snapping it back and flinging him in the air slightly before he smashed into the ground, down for the count. The whistle blew and Stiles knew she had won.

The hunters yelling suddenly hit her, making her aware that she was not alone and she made sure to keep a careful mask on. The Petrov family came forward to help Evan get medical treatment while Zander whooped over to her, pulling her into a big hug despite her aching body. The rest of the family gathered together to give her a hug, showing off as if they were close. It was all fake and Stiles felt uncomfortable by the close proximity.

"The Petrovs have won that for the past five years straight but then along comes you to kick their asses!" Zander yelled out with pride, pulling her away from where people were coming to congratulate her so he could sit her down. She was completely exhausted, uncertain of how she was still awake after a day like today. They eventually led her to the tent where Stiles had her wounds dressed and then was seated to allow hunters to congratulate her. It was too much effort, but Stiles was glad she didn't need to say anything to them. That would have been pushing it.

Hunters came constantly to congratulate the family, some slipping hints in about hunting together in the future. Zander accepted all the praise, looking like he had just won the fight himself. Cricket made sure to keep her awake, feeding her and not allowing her to slip off her chair. "Not yet, pretty girl. We still have a few more people that want to congratulate you before you can sleep." He whispered when her eye lids started to droop.

The night was filled with hunters getting drunk, telling hunting stories around a fire while others cemented allies and hunts together. Stiles was bleary eyed, desperate for sleep as the last of the congratulations were given. Cricket watched from nearby to keep her in check, but Stiles was too tired to try anything.

"Zander, I must say I am impressed with your huntress." Danil approached the hunter, looking impressed with Stiles. Zander looked more proud than Stiles did.

"A lot of work went into training her. Evan was still a star today, also." It was polite of Zander to say so, but it was apparent that Zander didn't think him as good as Stiles.

"We'll have to hunt together soon. I'd love to see Zemsta shoot a werewolf down. Let me know when she's done her first few hunts and we'll work something out." Then Danil left, leaving Zander bouncing on his chair.

"The Petrovs! The Petrovs actually want to hunt with us! I don't think the Tobias family and the Petrov family have ever hunted together! We're making hunting history!" Disbelief was laced through his voice while Cricket grinned happily. Ben was off somewhere trying to sleep with girls while Diablo and Blade were probably fucking somewhere. Zander turned to Stiles seriously, leaning close to whisper to her.

"I have friends moving to where your father is. They're an old hunting family that recently retired after their only son went into the army instead of hunting. They owe me a few major favours, so I cashed that in. They'll be watching over your father, making sure he's looked after. I promised that I looked after my own."

Stiles relaxed ever so slightly, not realising that she had been tense. But at the mention of her father, she had been almost certain he was going to threaten him again. Instead he was promising to protect him. It wasn't what Stiles wanted, but it meant for now that he had no plans to hurt him.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Cricket announced from his spot next to her, looking a lot dangerous in the flickering firelight. When neither Stiles nor Zander answered, he gave a wide grin. "We're going hunting."

* * *

**A/N **Here we go guys! I pretty much over doubled the entire story, but it couldn't be helped. I didn't actually enjoy writing this as much. It was more to introduce a few characters, get a feel of hunters and understand who Zemsta is compared to who Stiles is. Also, I really hate Evan. Actually, I hate majority of my OCs at the moment, which makes me love them. If that makes sense? Anyways! I love you guys for reading! I understand this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but thanks for having a look at least! I really love me some girl Stiles. Let me know what you think.

Also, just letting you guys know, that I really enjoyed killing off some characters. Look for that in some upcoming chapters! A little hint for you guys. I wasn't even joking about how long this is going to be… But stay! (Oh wow, another long A/N. How surprising…)


	5. Chapter 5

Stiles was crouched high in a tree, her long range rifle sitting still in her hand as she peered through her scope. Patience hadn't been her thing until she'd discovered the calm that came from behind the gun. Although she didn't want to be here, didn't want to be the predator, she had no choice. Her hands were tied.

It had been four weeks since the Hunter Games and Zander was still on a buzz after her success. Now that Stiles had proved herself to the hunting community, she was able to go on actual hunts and the prospect had Zander excited. He had scoured for a specific hunt, rejecting offers from others since it was her first hunt. There was a tradition about first hunts only being completed with family to cement their place and position within the family.

It was obvious that Stiles didn't want to hunt. She had become even quieter, pulling more into herself as the first hunt was talked about. Zander had picked up on her reluctance, the lectures about monsters coming constantly. The problem was that Stiles didn't see them all as monsters, so Zander had been forced to be strategic in finding their first hunt.

They were in Colorado, word coming in about animal attacks on a local farming town. So far three farmers had been found torn apart in their homes, the signs of scratches all over the homes. It had baffled the local police, and they were one more body away from pulling in the FBI to discover whatever feral creature was killing the farmers. It screamed feral werewolf. When the Tobias family had gotten close enough, one of the farmers had almost been killed, barely managing to escape away in his truck, dents and scratches indicating how far gone the omega was.

They were hunting a dangerous omega, one that had killed multiple innocent humans. Stiles didn't want to kill, but she knew that this wolf would continue to kill more people, continuing until it was put down. It was up to them to prevent more lives being taken, and Stiles had been put on rifle duty to act as back up to whatever plan Diablo had concocted.

Nestled high in a tree, in a forest which backed onto the farming land, Stiles had been waiting for over an hour. Her radio had been silent and the forest was alive with the sounds of the wildlife that deemed Stiles as not a threat. Her eyes were constantly sweeping the area to see if there was any movement that would either indicate a werewolf or the Tobias family. Her mind rebelled in the thought of actually killing a werewolf, but there was no way around it if she was needed. She just hoped she wasn't needed.

"_My friends being in Beacon Hills is a double edged sword." Zander had revealed as they were preparing for the hunt. "We've come up with a system to ensure that you don't get any ideas and try to kill us. Before every hunt, I call them, let them know the situation and if I don't call back within a week or so depending on the hunt, they get to injure your father." His voice was full of venom and Stiles resisted in the desire to kill him right then and there. _

"_What's stopping her from stealing your phone from you dead body and texting them at the end of the mission?" Ben had asked, watching the conflicting emotions that had escaped Stiles' mask. _

"_I speak in a code that we used many years ago. If anyone else calls them and doesn't say what needs to be said, they'll kill him." Zander stared at Stiles, a pleased expression on his face. The others seemed to think it intelligent, giving grins of their own. _

"_What if we get kidnapped?" Stiles asked finally, knowing that everyone whipped their heads at the sound of her voice. It was softly spoken, but everyone was aware of the question. _

"_That's a risk we'll have to avoid to save your father now, isn't it?" _

Here she was, doing what she had to in order to keep her father safe. If killing would help him continue to live, no matter the cost to her soul, she'd do it. Never gladly and never with pleasure like they wanted, but full of guilt and remorse. Even if she was following the code at the moment and protecting the innocent, it still was going to eat at her. She'd signed a deal with the devil to let her father be safe and protect those she loved at the price of her sanity.

A yell sounded suddenly in the forest, capturing Stiles' attention as she started searching through her scope for the source of the commotion. It didn't take long for her to focus on a bloodied Diablo, running through the forest as blood continue to flow from the vicious claw wound on his shoulder. The claw mark was deep, but Stiles kept her breathing even, her mind clear of anything but the task at hand. A few seconds later and a werewolf burst out, eyes golden and teeth dripping with blood. The red liquid covered his face, and he roared excitedly in the air as he realised his victim was too slow. Stiles didn't hesitate any longer, lining up the shot and shooting swiftly. The bang echoed in the forest and the wolf dropped to the ground. Without another moment, Stiles jumped down from her perch in the tree, grabbing her knife from her pocket and sprinting to the wolf.

It didn't matter, though. The shot had been perfect, lodging between the wolf's eyes, face still in an expression of feral anger. Kicking the corpse to make sure the wolf was out, Stiles stared at the sightless eyes, heart pounding as she realised exactly what she had done. A noise beside her had her flinching, turning to see a blood covered Diablo taking in the sight and grinning, blood staining his teeth.

"Welcome to the family, Zemsta."

* * *

_2 years later _

Her life for the past three years had been hell on her conscious. It had come to a point where she no longer counted her kills. She had stopped counting a year ago after reaching over 50. Over 50 werewolf lives now stained her soul, haunting her nightmares and weighing her down. All in the name of her father's life. Zander never failed to whisper about her father's precarious position, laughing as she covered how much his words affected her. She'd seen him make the calls, never able to hear the words, but in sight of the man to just let her know he was serious.

After her first kill, Zander had handed her a yellow envelope, revealing pictures of her father. He said it was a reward for saving Diablo's life. He'd thought that she was beginning to actually care for the family, despite her deep hatred. She'd done what she was told, nothing more and nothing less. The envelope had only three photos, all with pictures of her father taken from what appeared to be a secret photographer. But it showed him doing everyday things. He was alive, which was all Stiles could ask for.

The family went on more hunts together, as if to further this supposed family bond. Stiles quit talking altogether, listening to instructions given to her and doing as she was told. Zander would take her out individually every so often to hone in skills, using victims as learning tools. It was hard, but Stiles did everything she was told. Most of the time they were working with other families, but when they went out with just their family, it was like nothing could stop them.

They never missed a kill, never screwed up. All of that was because of Stiles, her marksman abilities able to kill runners and stragglers before they could do more damage. The Tobias family built up a reputation as being unstoppable, a reputation that revolved entirely around Zemsta.

Zemsta, the werewolf slayer. Zander loved the hype that surrounded her, perpetuating rumours to keep the family name in circulation. One night, Stiles made the mistake of expressing her dislike by rolling her eyes. A dark look past Zander's face and he went off in a silent huff. Uncertain of what had been going on with him, Stiles found out a few days later when he handed her another envelope, only there was no thank you attached with the supposed gift. It contained pictures, but pictures that had her heart racing.

It was her father's face, bruised and beaten so badly he was in hospital. Wires came from him, connected to machines, majority of his body wrapped up. Along with those three pictures was a newspaper article claiming that the Sheriff had been attacked in a bar brawl while working. There was no permanent damage, but it had scared Stiles.

"Don't ever tell me if you like or dislike your reputation. You are mine, and you are my huntress. That is your only warning." Zander had hissed into her ear, allowing her to keep the photos and add them to her collection. A cruel reminder of the consequences of her doing anything against what Zander wanted. From that point on, she did everything she could to protect him further. The silence and obedience seemed to make Zander happy. A happy Zander protected her father.

A few months after the incident, the family finally went on the promised hunt with the Petrovs after there was the discovery of a pack taking out a town with no provocation. At least that was the story that the hunters were going with, just another excuse to kill the wolves. Being uncomfortable with it, Stiles chose to stay away from the main group of hunters who seemed extremely verbal in their quest. Zander kept watch on her, seeming worried that she'd let something slip that she shouldn't. Not that Stiles would ever do it.

The biggest problem, beside actually murdering the wolves, was Evan and Ben. Evan had seemed to develop a massive crush on her, which had probably started after Stiles had kicked his ass in public. It was like an obsession with him, slipping in as many sly and inappropriate comments to her whenever he thought no one was listening. The flirting didn't go unnoticed, Ben seeming to hate Evan's advances.

Stiles was far from interested in him, and found ways to avoid him as best as she could. Feeling possessive of his family member, Ben had started shadowing her, making sure she stayed far away from Evan. It should have made her feel better, but Ben tried to make advances on her, to claim her in order to stop the Petrov from having her. It was uncomfortable, and Stiles was uncertain of how far she could stop him without getting the wrath of Zander.

It came to a point where Ben and Evan, after trying to get Stiles alone, had gotten into blows over the incident, fighting loudly until the hunting party had to separate them. At first there had been lots of anger over the incident until it was discovered why they were fighting. The other hunters had laughed, but kept the boys away from each other, making cracks about Stiles leading both along. Rumours swept about Zemsta the slut, the whore. Far from the truth, Stiles said nothing.

The hunt had been extremely successful, barely any casualties on the hunters' side. While cleaning up her weaponry after the bloodbath that still made her feel sick, Evan approached her on the sly. He had tried to lead her into the bush, grabbing her arm hard and tugging her, hunger in his eyes.

"I saw you fighting off that werewolf today. Gutted that monster without any fear on your face. Definitely hot." He pulled her close, ignoring her squirms to escape. His other hand forced her lift her chin up. "I know you want me. Playing hard to get, getting that asshole to act like he wants you. Making me jealous. You don't need to keep doing that anymore. Let's go off to the bushes while everyone else is busy." He started pulling her further into the trees.

"No." Stiles forced out between gritted teeth, pushing him off her and glaring at him with fury. Her body felt gross and dirty after just having him touch her. To think he thought she was interested? It was the biggest joke. "Fuck off." That just made Evan laugh, coming to grab her again.

"The lady said no." Ben appeared a moment later, smirking at Evan, face slightly bruised from being thrown by a wolf into the ground earlier. "And the fact that Zemsta actually said no rather than implying it with her body language shows how much she really doesn't want you. Me on the other hand? Well who doesn't want the man who comes to rescue her from the bad guy?"

"Keep dreaming, buddy. Zemsta and I are going off for a while, and you can go and sob in the corner." Evan laughed at Ben's attempt, hand gently gripping Stiles' shoulder. Having had enough of males trying to get her attention and force her to do things she didn't want to do, Stiles saw red. In a flash she turned around, knee up and smashing hard in between Evan's legs.

The high pitched squeal was incredibly satisfying, but before Stiles could smirk, Ben laughed and walked over to put his own hand on Stiles. He was too busy laughing at Evan who was sobbing on the ground, rolling around and making weird noises. He didn't see the knee that connected with his own crotch, his eyes widening in shock before he collapsed on the ground in a similar pose. Feeling complete satisfaction, Stiles stared at the two of them, a big smile on her face.

"I don't want either of you. If you're so desperate to fuck someone, fuck each other! Well, only if your balls manage to work again!" With that she walked away, feeling empowered and with a strut in her walk. It wasn't a permanent solution, but it would at least stop them for a while. This whole pursuing thing was wearing on her, and she was hoping that maybe they would just get it into their heads that she didn't want them. Ever.

The next time she saw Evan and Ben, they sent daggers to her before turning to each other, promising to get their own revenge, but Stiles wasn't too scared. She'd defended herself then, she'd do it again. Only now she was more prepared with the knowledge that neither cared about consent, instead having two rapists on her hands. The rest of the time the Tobias' spent with the Petrovs, she clung to Cricket's hip, ignoring the questioning looks and the glares from the other boys. She would be okay for now.

* * *

**A/N **Hey guys, I know this isn't a really long chapter, but I think it should be okay. Pretty much making you hate everyone more, yay! Don't worry, it's more a filler since I need time to move along. I have a time line that fits with the story, meaning I am just giving you a glance of Stiles' life as a huntress – but keeping it relatively simple. No descriptions of the killing because honestly I am not a fan of killing the innocent wolves. That will change next chapter.

But next chapter guys – it's not long either BUT stuff happens! HINT GUYS! There is death. Not as satisfying as I would have liked, but there is death. Yeah, just expect death in the next two chapters. Next chapter starts it off, and you'll love it. I loved writing it (some of it at least), so I hope you'll love it.

I might post it early if people are really keen for it, so let me know! Maybe tomorrow if you just can't wait… haha shamelessly wanting more comments ;) But I get too excited so I might post it anyways. Also I give up. I ramble and I will always have long A/N. Deal with it.


	6. Chapter 6

_A year later_

Taking a deep breath, mind solely focused on the task at hand, Stiles knocked on the door, fingers already in her pocket and holding the small gun. When the door was opened, it didn't even manage to get opened the entire way before Stiles shot, instantly jumping into action, walking swiftly into the house to send the last few shots. It didn't take long for her to be out of bullets, and she dropped low as she discarded the gun, pulling the knives from her boots as a wolf lunged at her. Avoiding his claws was easy, and Stiles made sure to dig her wolfsbane covered blades deep into his heart before grabbing another gun and finishing off the room.

Less than five minutes and she had obliterated the pack, the bodies still with shocked faces as blood poured out and stained the carpet. Taking stock of the group, Stiles saw that there was one still left alive, the poison of the bullet slowly working on him. A few steps and she came to him, crouching low and watching as he gasped for air, blood starting to drip out his mouth. The red was bleeding into his eyes, and Stiles wasted no time in stopping his suffering, her final bullet lodging into his skull and ending his misery.

Walking out of the house, distasteful of the blood on her boots, Stiles walked back to the truck where Zander was waiting, large containers of gasoline in his hands. Without saying anything, the two of them doused the house, walking in and covering the bodies before throwing the empty canisters into the house and setting it alight. Stiles jumped into the passenger seat of the car, letting Zander drive and take them to their next destination.

"This is team Z, we've eliminated the threat." Zander piped up over the radio, Stiles having made no move towards the device. There was a moment of crackle before a reply was sounded.

"Good work team Z. Left team needing some assistance. A couple of wolves managed to escape the trap." A deep male voice responded, congratulating them and then telling them to get a move on. Stiles made no indication of whether she cared or not, letting Zander handle everything.

"Roger that. We'll be there in two minutes." With that Zander hit the gas, peeling away and leaving a trail of dust behind him along with a burning house, the heat still felt by Stiles. "Looks like the Petrovs didn't manage to maintain their side of the attack. I thought Ben would have been able to handle them."

It didn't take long for them to make the site, Stiles jumping out of the car to grab her long ranged rifle from the back of the truck and set it up quickly. When it was finished, she jumped onto the top of the cab, setting it up in position as she slid down to get a look of the area below her. Zander had driven up to a good vantage point that had been designated as an emergency place in case she needed to help out with their operation.

Through the scope, Stiles could make out the burning area where she and Zander had finished up, with another large fire to the west of them. It was the final house, one that was just being set ablaze that Stiles focused on. Five wolves had escaped from the house, obviously unable to be contained as had been planned. Two shots and she had two down, but she wasn't quick enough to stop one wolf mauling a hunter, blood splattering everywhere before her bullet pierced his brain. The remaining wolves realised they were dead, and started going feral.

They killed two hunters who were unable to stop the attack, and Stiles refused to get irritated by the fact. She shot one, getting the last shot ready when suddenly the wolf attacked a familiar face, Ben's dark hair being turned to red just as she managed to fire the last one. There was silence, and Stiles wondering if maybe Ben had been killed before she'd killed the final werewolf. Miracles still could happen, right?

"We have four injured down here! We need a medic immediately!" Came the crackle from the radio, Stiles jumping down and retrieving the shell casings. Pulling apart the rifle, she didn't display any emotion before Zander drove back to the main base. Already they were rushing around with emergency hospital gear that had been brought down just in case with an attack this size. Stiles stood back as three cars roared into camp, doors opening and bloodied men being pulled out and instantly in the medic's tent.

"Was that Ben?" Zander yelled out, panic lacing his tone. Cricket ran over to get a look but was pushed back as the medics were busy trying to get the injured inside. "What happened to Ben? How the fuck did he get hurt? Where is Danil?" Zander roared, anger lacing his tone as he raced around camp trying to find who was responsible for the injured family member.

Diablo and Blade came soon after, both covered in blood but looking incredibly pleased with themselves until they discovered that Ben had been seriously injured. The family sat together near the tent, tension thick in the air as they waited desperately for news. Blade was sobbing into Diablo's coat, clutching him tight while the man looked lost. Stiles was the only one who was hoping for Ben to die.

It had been a year ago since the first attempt to rape her, and since then there had been several other times it had been close. A few times other family members had interrupted before it had gotten bad, but one case had ended with Stiles having a knife wound that travelled down her forearm after Ben got really mad. Either way she had managed to avoid his advances, but the more she rejected him the crueller he got. Zander had ignored it, saying something about sexual tension, but Blade had told Ben to back off. It at least had stopped him in the past few months.

But with this large hunt, Evan Petrov had come back into the picture, still as cocky as ever and interested in Stiles. When he realised that Ben and Stiles were nothing, he was immediately back to trying to get her, and that had Ben getting more aggressive. The bruises of fingers down her shoulder were testament to it. Evan seemed to have gotten larger and more forceful, but with the main focus on the hunt, it had kept them busy enough to leave her alone.

And now here was Ben with the possibility of dying. The rest of the family wanted him to live, not liking that one of their own was so injured. Stiles was hoping for death. A slow and painful death might have been too much to ask for, but ridding him from the world would have been perfect. An hour or two later, a medic covered in blood came forward, a grim expression on his face.

"He's in critical condition. There's nothing more we can do, but if he makes it through the night then he'll be okay, I think. It's just a waiting game now." The medic explained, leaving the group to mull over what they'd just heard.

"Ben's strong. He'll pull through, no doubt." Zander said forcefully, as if his words alone could prevent Ben from dying. It was too up in the air for Stiles' liking, but at least he could still possibly die. Fingers crossed, she guessed.

By now it was late at night, and a large campfire had been set in the middle of camp. The rest of the families had started to gather around, and Blade had volunteered to sit with Ben while they went, making sure that one of the family would be able to gauge how he was doing. With that, the rest of the group ambled to a log, sitting around where several other hunting families were situated.

For once, Stiles didn't feel too bad about the hunt. There had been rumours of a pack of wolves biting a township and turning them forcefully into werewolves. They had then been forced by the alpha to learn to fight, which had the hunters thinking that there was going to be an attack. It hadn't been the first time that a pack had tried to turn all humans and make themselves alpha of the country. Due to the size that the pack had already amassed, though, it had been a job that required several hunting families.

Stiles and Zander had been in charge of destroying one of the pack houses, where some of the newly turned wolves were staying. The wolves that had refused to fight with loyalty for the alpha had already been disposed of, leaving the wolves that had fully embraced their feral side in. Several of the surrounding townships had reported animal attacks, and it was apparent that it was the wolf pack causing trouble.

There had been three main houses, which three main families had been in charge of destroying, while the other hunting families took apart the smaller groups. They had been successful in their attack and now it was time to debrief. Danil Petrov stood at the head of the fire, waiting for silence to fall before he would point to a group of hunters and hear how they went. When he came to Zander, the man proudly stood up and drawled about how Zemsta had killed the entire pack with no help from him except to burn the bodies in the home. There were murmurs of surprise from some of the hunters unfamiliar with Stiles, but the rest just seemed in awe.

The rumours and stories surrounding her false identity had become more widespread, sometimes exaggerated and unrealistic. Stories of her conquests, her kills and hunts erupted and she became a celebrity figure in the hunting community. Blade had been right that the look became her, Zemsta always associated with the dark make-up and black beanie cap. The silence also added to her whole identity, people watching her and wanting to be her. None of it fascinated Stiles, though, who preferred to ignore the hype and stick to the fringe.

It had come to a point where over exaggerated tales became the talk, Stiles never agreeing nor disagreeing with the stories. Zander was always vague, Blade enjoying the attention of being known to belong to the family, and Diablo making the stories even more insane and wilder. Ben had used the name Tobias to sleep around more, although he still had kept his interest in Stiles while Cricket would proudly talk about how he had been part of her training. The tales swept across the supernatural community until it came a time when the Tobias' had started to get hunted themselves by angry wolves. Those packs were eradicated swiftly and without too much problem.

With that said, the scars still littered Stiles' body. She didn't come out unscathed all the time, scratches and claw marks marring her skin. It just added to the scars she had gotten from training and her own family, and Stiles felt it only right for her shame to be marked on her body, a perpetual reminder of the horror she had done to the innocent.

Zander had eased Stiles into killing anyone, at first focusing on rogues and the extremely dangerous as if to make it easier for her to eradicate werewolves before they moved to the rumoured-to-be-dangerous wolves and then just killing whenever they had to. The one thing that Stiles refused to do, no matter how much it was pushed, was to kill children. At first Zander had been mad, but then Diablo had stepped up and done the task, having no qualms and making it a non-issue.

When Zander sat down after detailing their part, including Zemsta shooting the wolves that had attacked their own, there was a moment of silence for those three who had already died from the wounds. Ben was still up in the air, and Stiles hoped that by the end of the night it would go to four dead. When the debriefing was over, the groups dispersed to their tents, the Tobias family making their way to the medic's tent.

"You need to let him be for now. I know you want to be there, but one wrong move by you and he could be dead. If he's as strong as you say, then he'll pull through. No one is allowed in that tent." The medic commanded, refusing to budge on the issue. Zander had been mad at first, but realised that it had been for the best. They made their way to their tent in silence, the tension and worry thick in the air.

It took a while for them to sleep, but slowly one by one they dropped off. Stiles didn't feel particularly tired, and instead imagined killing Ben herself, just sneaking in and slitting his throat. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she barely heard the soft footsteps walking past the tent. Silently and careful not to wake up the others, Stiles opened up the tent door a tiny bit to watch as a dark figure made their way to the medic tent. The figure looked both ways before entering and there was silence for a while. Stiles was ready to just go back to her tent and sleep, thinking she had imagined it, when the figure emerged.

It was good timing, because the clouds dispersed from the moon, casting a slight silver glow onto the shadow. The shadow turned out to be Evan, the boy with a sly expression on his face as he slipped back into the night. For a moment Stiles was uncertain of why he would have been in the tent, but decided to ignore it. It was not as if she could tell anyone, especially since she refused to talk anymore. The questions niggled at her brain, but she pushed them aside.

It turned out in the morning that her questions were answered along with her prayers. Ben was dead.

* * *

A month later and the family was still in mourning, camping out in Ohio. They hadn't been in a hunt since they had lost Ben. Stiles had stayed silent, knowing that Ben hadn't died to his injuries but by Evan's hand, but she never said a word. Instead she let the family mourn, thinking that at least Stiles had killed the werewolf who had injured Ben so severely.

Stiles was watching the flames dance, ignoring as Blade and Diablo snuck off to a tent that had been strategically placed far from the other tents. A short time later and Zander joined her, a black armband on his bicep in remembrance of the family member he'd lost.

"We lost a family member, a very important family member." Zander spoke softly, eyes focused on a crackling log. "I keep thinking that I should have been there, should have focused on him and not you especially since you're capable of looking after yourself and getting the job done. But I know it wasn't my fault, it was that fucking werewolf. The one that you killed."

Stiles could feel that he was building up to something, but she let him continue, knowing that this was something that had been on his mind for quite some time if the looks he had given her over the past week were anything to go off. She had been waiting for him to approach her and tell her what was going on. At first she had been worried that he knew she had seen Evan in the tent, but there was no way he could have. It had to be something else.

"I haven't been in contact with the hunters near your father for a few months now. You've proven yourself time and time again, and when you were quick in shooting the animal that killed Ben, I just knew then and there that you're with us. I trust you, Zemsta, as does the rest of the family. You've saved my life multiple times when you could have let me die, and for that reason I don't need to threaten your father. I know you're with me."

His face was serious, his tone sincere and she struggled to keep her beating heart a secret from him. His words were making her body pump full of adrenaline and she was almost in shock with his words. The family trusted her. After so long of working with them, being forced to help them out, they thought she was trustworthy. They thought it would be like Stockholm syndrome. They thought she had learned to care about the family.

"Your father will continue to be protected, just as you've protected us. I told the hunters that they were to keep him safe. With Ben now gone, your place in this family is more important. I know you, and I know you're a hunter through and through. I just wanted you to know that we trust you." There was a pause before Zander nodded and then left Stiles sitting and staring at the fire, mind racing and heart pumping fast.

It had been the signal she had been waiting six years for. They trusted her, no longer threatening her father, and now she would be able to kill them and get to her father. Zander must have thought she had gotten over the threat and that she actually cared about the wellbeing of the family. That was so terribly wrong, and it pleased Stiles to no end. Everyone was fast asleep if the snores were anything to go off, and Stiles couldn't help but smile darkly into the flames of the fire, feeling the adrenaline pump through her system. She couldn't help the harsh words escape her throat.

"It's time to go hunting."

* * *

**A/N (I couldn't help but post this up already because I got way too excited) **

FINALLY! Seriously have been waiting so long for this. I may have been very harsh to my keyboard in my crazy typing due to just how much I loved killing people. I mean, the wolves I wanted to make sure were a little crazy – still hate killing the innocent – but Ben? Dead. And I bet you weren't expecting it to be Evan!

But you know what's happening next chapter. Finally. The immense joy that I now have knowing that soon you all will know what happens is making me grin ridiculously. Never before have I enjoyed writing about killing. I generally don't write murder or death, especially graphic in anyway, but I made an exception.

And you know what happens when I kill of the Tobias family? What's Stiles going to do? This is going to be good! Can't wait to hear your reactions!


	7. Chapter 7

The sun was shining bright in the forest, the Tobias family still camped out in the forest. The sound of birds chirping seemed to match Stiles' mood, only hers was filled with more anticipation. Decked out in all her gear, belongings already packed, Stiles was seated on a log at the dying embers left of the fire, whittling a stick with one of her knives. She didn't know where the rest of the group was, but it didn't bother her. She had some unfinished business to deal with.

"Why did you pack up already? We're going to be here for a while. Zander just ran out to get more supplies." Cricket approached Stiles, a confused expression on his face. Taking a deep breath, Stiles looked up and knew that it was time. Heart calm despite what she was about to do, she couldn't help but lick her lips in anticipation. It was finally time, finally time to really be Zemsta. The prospect of killing the family who had taken so much from her, including her innocence, was making her feel like she could finally do some good in the world.

"Perfect timing." Stiles said with strength, enjoying the surprised expression that crossed Cricket's face as her words echoed in the clearing.

"Zemsta, you just spoke-" But before he could utter another syllable, Stiles had a gun out and shot his shoulder, the shock barely registering on the man's face before he went to jump into action. Another shot had him screaming in pain, tumbling over as he looked at his mangled hand. The gun he had been about to grab had disappeared into the bushes, and Stiles walked calmly over to the man groaning in pain, trying to scramble and get away from her.

"You thought that I would forget what you've done to me? You thought I wouldn't remember the scars that cover my body from your cruelty?" Stiles spoke to him as if he was a child, spitting the words out as he bled from his shoulder.

There was a noise to Stiles' left as Blade rushed through the clearing, obviously worried about the gunshots. Without a word, Stiles shot at her, the woman dropping to her knees as blood spread across her abdomen. Without missing a beat, Stiles walked over, kicking the girl over and stepping on the wound, getting a scream from the woman as she looked at Stiles in a mixture of shock and fury.

"Dear old Blade. Didn't think that I would be the one killing you, did you?" Stiles asked casually, not at all worried at the woman who was gasping underneath her boot. Another gunshot had Blade shrieking in pain, fingers bloodied from trying to stop the flow escaping her shoulder. Stiles shot again, only away from Blade who jerked as if she had been the one fired.

Diablo, who had come running at the sound of screams, was leaning on one leg, holding his ruined knee cap with disbelief, looking at the sight in front of him with surprise. Stiles shot again, destroying his other knee cap before he collapsed onto the ground, his yells of pain echoing in the clearing.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!" Diablo yelled out, trying to crawl his way to his tent where his weapons were. "You're family! We let you be family!" He spat, eyes going wide and crazy. Stiles shot his hand, enjoying how white his face was going.

"We were never family. Not after what you did to me. What you all did to me. You made me a monster and thought that I would just roll over and allow it. How does it feel to know the monster you made is going to finally get her revenge?" Stiles didn't wait for an answer before kicking Blade away and walking swiftly to Diablo, kicking his torso as he pitifully tried to attack. "Good night, Diablo. I hope the devil shows you how it's really done." The final gunshot had the man motionless on the ground, a splatter of blood and brains on the tree next to him.

A swift movement had a knife thrown right at Cricket, his arm stuck to the tree that he'd managed to crawl to. His screams were almost inhumane, satisfying the dark creature that seemed to live in Stiles, having become what it was after enduring the torture these people had done to her. Ducking suddenly, Stiles avoided the knife that Blade had thrown, expecting the attack after having just killed the woman's lover. Grabbing her own knife, Stiles made it over and pushed the woman back down, enjoying the blood that was starting to drip out of the woman's mouth.

"You taught me how to use a knife, how to feel the metal and use it as an extension of myself. I'm going to teach you what happens when the blade turns on you." Stiles gave Blade a sincere look before swiftly slicing her throat, ignoring the spray of blood that splattered onto herself. Satisfied that Blade was now dead, Stiles walked slower to Cricket, who was whimpering and making desperate noises, trying to dislodge his wrist from where it was pinned to the tree. When he noticed Stiles come over, he made a desperate noise, trying twice as hard but failing as blood gushed from various places on his body.

Stiles pulled the knife out, uncaring of how hard she yanked as the man shrieked in response, trying to crawl away from the woman covered in blood. Watching him for a moment, she played with the knife, letting the fear eat at him a moment longer. It was cruel, the way this monster inside of her was reacting, but she revelled in the fact of its efficiency and desire to hurt those who had hurt her so badly.

"I don't know why you're surprised. I mean, you trained me to kill. You actually gave me the skills necessary to kill you and then tried to tell me who the monsters were. If you really think about it, this shouldn't be a surprise." Stiles looked the man dead in the eye, knowing that there was a desperation to live, but it was one that she didn't care for. Without another thought, she shoved the knife as deep into his chest as she could, watching his eyes as they widened, body twitching before the light left him. Stiles pulled the knife out, wiping it uncaringly across her pants before stepping away.

There were three bodies lying dead, blood pooling around them and making Stiles feel satisfied. She got rid of the empty clip from her gun, reloading and preparing for the final battle. This was one she'd been looking forward to more than ever. Finishing up with rearming herself, Stiles dragged the dead onto the fire pit, knowing that the embers were probably being smothered. It didn't bother her because she'd dispose of them later. It didn't take long before she was back on the log, whittling at a stick.

* * *

It could have been an hour or more, but Stiles felt a quiet calm as she prepared for this last person. Her knives glinted in the sunlight, having been cleaned from the mess of blood. The bodies near her were still spilling blood, and a slight smell had already started, but she chose to ignore it. Three dead already, and it felt like part of the weight had been lifted off her chest. One more left.

A loud rumble sounded in the clearing as one of the SUVs arrived, Zander jumping out and dumping a load of groceries near a tent, not seeming have noticed that the rest of the family was dead. He whistled to himself, finishing off the groceries before walking towards Stiles. And then he stopped walking.

Before he could react, Stiles shot at him, hitting him in the shoulder and standing up slowly. Zander was quick, though, and shot right back, barely missing her. Stiles dove for the trees, ignoring the bark that was dislodged as bullets embedded themselves into the trees. Taking just a moment to breath and relax herself, Stiles moved away into the open, shooting Zander and managing to hit the gun out of his hands. Running closer, she avoided his swipe at her with knives, kicking out with her left foot and connecting with his knee cap. There was a loud snap, but Zander stayed silent and continued to battle with his wound.

Two of the knives managed to slice her thighs, the blood splattering on the ground and Zander giving a satisfied grunt. Not even feeling the pain with all the adrenaline, Stiles kicked out hard in his stomach and then pulled her own knives out, stabbing him in the shoulder and avoiding one of his knives. She wasn't quick enough for the other that plunged into her shoulder, but she grabbed his wrist and twisted, snapping the bones and rendering the hand useless. A punch had her sprawling back, but quickly getting back up, spitting a wad of blood out of her mouth and continuing.

"You're betraying your family!" Zander spat at her as they battled it out, wrestling on the ground and trying to incapacitate each other. Stiles felt a rush of heat at his words, punching him in the jaw and then gaining the upper hand, knife wedging into his wrist.

"You were never my family." She gritted at him, his face darkening at her words and making Stiles feel more powerful. He kicked out, managing to wind her momentarily before pouncing, but Stiles was quicker, rolling away and yanking the knife from her shoulder out, stabbing him in the opposite hand to his broken wrist and loving the sounds of his cries.

"We were your family! We did everything for you!" He screamed out, blood dripping everywhere, one of his eyes starting to swell up from a well-placed punch. Stiles kicked him hard in the side, standing up and stomping at his crotch. The man howled with fury, but was unable to move as tears slid down his face, the pain starting to overcome him. Stiles was dripping blood herself, but she ignored it all as she focused on him.

"You stole me from my family!" She yelled at him, finally letting out all the hatred she'd stored up. "Didn't you wonder why I chose the name Zemsta after never wanting to hurt werewolves? You thought it meant retribution to the wolves. Its literal meaning is revenge." Stiles pressed her foot on his throat, enjoying the sounds of his choked breaths with a darkness that even had her slightly scared. "It was a promise to you. A promise that I was never going to forget and that I would have my revenge. I just had to be patient." The foot move and Zander gasped for breath, curling to the side.

"You did all this to protect your family?" He gave a false laugh, trying to façade a confidence that Stiles knew he didn't have. He knew he was going to die, but he was determined to take Stiles down with him. "To protect your father? What father would want a murderer now?" He hissed out, grunting at the kick to his side.

"I did this all to protect him and my pack." The mention of a pack had Zander stiffening, going slightly silent except for his gasps of breath. "And even if he doesn't want me, it won't matter. He is still alive, along with my werewolf family, while you'll be dead. And there won't be anyone to care." She was itching to be done, to leave him and return to her family. But leaving him alive would be a terrible idea.

"You've seen what werewolves do." Zander coughed out, spraying blood slightly. "You know the monsters they are. I trained you to kill monsters and you turn on me! You have no loyalty to anyone! You're a monster yourself!" Blood covered his teeth, dripping with saliva from his mouth.

"You trained me into a monster and taught me how to kill other monsters. Has it never occurred to you that you are a monster too? This is what you trained me to do. You trained me to kill you, and I'll be damned if I don't do what I was trained to do." Stiles bent low, grabbing his hair to whisper into his ear.

"You're damned anyway." Zander tried to laugh, instead making a horrible gurgling noise. His breaths were just gasps now, and Stiles looked him dead in the eye with an evil glint.

"That's something I'll have to deal with. And I'll have time to do that. You on the other hand? I guess you're all out of time." There was a moment of panic, of pure fear that swept into Zander's eyes, and then Stiles stabbed him in the heart, keeping her hand steady on the knife as she let the hurt and terror flash through Zander's expression before his body shut down and he was finally dead.

It was only in that moment that Stiles felt everything, all the pain and torment that had haunted her along with her new injuries. It was done. After so many years of being stuck and tortured, forced to do things that made her sick to her very stomach, Stiles was free. Taking a staggering breath, Stiles pushed back the panic that threatened to take over before moving into action.

Dragging Zander's broken body to the pile, she grabbed the last few containers of gasoline, dumping the liquid onto the dead and lighting it. The whoosh of heat had her staggering back slightly, quickly shoving bandages on her to stop the bleeding for now. She needed to get out of here before anyone came to investigate. And she needed to get home.

With her work here finished, Stiles grabbed one of the SUVs, dumping her stuff in a hidden compartment before revving the engine and escaping quickly. Driving out of the forest took a while, but she focused on thoughts of her father who was waiting for her only a few states over. Part of her recognised that she was in shock, but she just couldn't stop and prolong her journey. Finally getting onto the main road, she knew she didn't have overly long until she got home, and the adrenaline continued to surge through her system. Home.

She was finally going home.

**A/N **OH HELL YEAH! Sorry, but I've been itching for this for so long. I absolutely hated all of them. I know I couldn't probably been a bit crueller with Diablo, Blade and Cricket, but seriously I didn't care enough about them. They were just kind of there all the time. Zander on the other hand? Yeah, I had fun. The dark side of me is just loving it all.

But she's free! Guys, she made it! And now she gets to go home which is… WITH THE PACK AND HER DAD! WOOHOO! How has the pack changed? How will Stiles react to all of this? I took a lot of liberties obviously because I gave them drastic changes in their life that would affect who they are. Plus, this isn't the end of the story! We still have a while ( I promised Sterek and I will fulfil that promise!)


	8. Chapter 8

Derek was busy in the Sheriff's kitchen, making two sandwiches as he hummed to himself. There was a football game on the TV and it was blaring loudly, loud enough that Derek was still able to keep up despite being far away from the screen. Not that it really mattered with his hearing, but the Sheriff always did it as if he forgot briefly about Derek being a werewolf. While cleaning up from the mess he'd made, Derek couldn't help but gaze over at the photo of Stiles that was posted on the refrigerator. It had been years of searching, of lost leads and dead ends that always ended up empty. They didn't know where she was or if she was even alive. It cut him deep to his soul, his wolf unable to know if it should mourn for a dead pack mate or tear up the world in search of a trace of her.

After she'd disappeared, Derek and the rest of the pack had gone nuts trying to find her, not even catching a scent to help them. It wasn't a surprise that the Sheriff had become crazed in his search too, stumbling onto the fact that Derek and Stiles had been friends. He'd nearly arrested him in his desperation, but Derek had managed to avoid that sticky situation again. Figuring that the Sheriff wouldn't be satisfied with some half-assed lie, Derek told him the truth. It was difficult explaining it to someone who had no idea and wasn't interested in Derek biting him. But the greatest part had been that the Sheriff took it in his stride and attempted to utilise Derek's abilities in the search. It still turned up nothing.

Knowing that Stiles would kill every single one of the pack if she ever learned that her father wasn't looked after properly while she was gone, the pack had taken to staying with the Sheriff or just checking up on him. At first the man had rolled his eyes, acting as if they were a nuisance, but Derek saw the change that the visits had over time. It was good because Derek had another pack mate, one who had an in with the local law enforcement. But it was even better because he now had a friend who it wasn't weird to be friends with. People at first questioned why the Sheriff was acting so chummy with Derek, and vicious rumours spread about Derek being the cause for his daughter's kidnapping, but after a while people got over it.

It became their thing, Sunday night football, and then just visiting on a Sunday when the season ended. Sometimes it would be the whole pack if they were visiting from college or just a random few. Derek and the Sheriff had bonded over their equal love of football that evolved into discovering their love of sports in general. They became good enough friends that Derek didn't even call him Sheriff anymore. It was just John.

The game was already in full swing, so Derek was trying to be quick in making lunch. John had been injured on the job the other day, one of the dogs having gotten scared by a car backfiring and running around the office until John tripped over the canine. Not being as young as he used to be, John had tumbled and sprained his ankle. The entire pack had been overly obsessed with making sure he stayed off it that the Sheriff had demanded they all leave him alone. But Derek was the alpha, and it was Sunday night football, so John got over it.

"Hurry up, Derek! They've already started playing!" John called from the couch, voice raised above the sounds of shouting along with the commentary coming from the TV. "I'm starving!"

"Calm down, old man! Next time you have to make food. Bad leg or not." Derek laughed at him, hearing the chuckle from John in return. Derek balanced the sandwiches, grabbing beers from the fridge before walking onto the couch and settling in, the food splayed on the coffee table in easy reach. They both opened their bottles, grinning as they watched, relaxing in the familiarity of routine. Just as they were both getting into it, Derek yelling for the Seattle Seahawks to beat the crap out of the Atlanta Falcons, who John was rooting for, when there was a knock at the door. John groaned loudly, irritated that someone dared disrupt the game. "Don't worry, I'll go get it. Don't want you to miss those Seahawks destroying the Falcons." Derek joked, smirking at the glare he got from the Sheriff.

Walking towards the door, Derek felt in a good mood, absently sniffing to see if it was any of the pack. Usually the pack would just knock and enter, being comfortable enough in John's home. But his nose didn't detect pack, instead there was a sharp tang of blood and wolfsbane. Instantly his face hardened, ears straining as they only picked up one fast paced heartbeat. There came another knock, this one a little more desperate and Derek could hear the short, laboured breaths of the person on the other side.

Figuring that whoever was on the other side of the door wouldn't be prepared for an alpha werewolf to answer the door, Derek opened and froze as he took in the sight. His heart literally stopped beating for a few seconds, mind blank as he took in the figure. Dark brown hair, long and flowing, blood tainting the locks, seemed to block her face for a second before her head lifted up. Wide, whiskey brown eyes met his, darting around for a moment and looking scared slightly. Her bow shaped lips were opened slightly, the wheezing breaths still coming out.

But underneath that stench of blood, death and wolfsbane was something Derek was positive he would never have the opportunity to smell again. It was a mixture of the earth after rain and the gentle scent of cinnamon coffee, so rich and comforting that it caused him to stare in shock for a moment.

"I made it home." The girl sighed out peacefully, her body relaxing and the fear disappearing from her eyes. She was so familiar, yet so different at the same time. Then before Derek could respond, she started falling to the ground.

Grateful more than ever for his lightning quick reflexes, Derek grabbed her swiftly and held her gently, feeling her body shake and knowing she wasn't the only one suffering from shock of some sort. "Sheriff!" Derek called out behind him, eyes never leaving the figure as she struggled to breathe and gather herself and her surroundings. There was a slight hysterical panic that started to blossom in her eyes, but Derek could at least hear the slow shuffle of John.

"Who's at the door? They do understand that it's a Sunday and that football is currently-" The Sheriff stopped suddenly as he looked at who Derek was holding. For a moment there was silence, the only sound that Derek could hear belonging to the staccato heartbeats of the two humans. "Stiles?" It was a breathless whisper of desperation and disbelief as if he couldn't dare hope that this was his daughter.

Stiles' body relaxed further and the shaking became even stronger. That seemed to jerk Derek into the seriousness of the situation, his alpha instincts screaming at him to protect and care for his injured pack mate, the pack mate that had been gone for so long, but had always been part of them.

"I think we need to take her to the hospital." Derek lifted the girl into his arms bridal style, but she stiffened as he bent for keys, body scrambling to get out of his hold, twisting as if to escape.

"No! No hospital! Please! Too many questions." She whispered, but it was panicked, her eyes going wide with fear, the smell so sharp and unpleasant to Derek's nose that he struggled not to flinch away from it.

"Okay, no hospital. I promise, no hospital." Derek soothed, the girl relaxing with a sigh before suddenly going limp, losing consciousness. The Sheriff paused and looked at Derek, still trying to comprehend that his daughter was in Derek's arms.

"To the hospital or not?" The Sheriff asked, his hands shaking as he moved to gently touch the girl but curling away last minute, eyes wide with so much sadness and hope that it ripped into Derek. He had lost a pack mate, yes, but the Sheriff had lost his only living family member. It seemed to be hitting John a lot worse.

"If she wakes up there, the panic would be too much." Derek decided to respect her wishes, despite Stiles having been in a chaotic state. The Sheriff paused a moment, looking at Derek then nodding before he started walking down the hall, looking back to make sure Derek was following.

It was like this was all a dream, a horrible dream that Derek would wake up from and want to just curl up in a ball and cry. Stiles had been gone for so long, the gaping hole of her disappearance never getting filled by anyone. They had done the best they could, moved on and continued with life. But to Derek, there was something missing. Someone. And here she was, hurt and damaged probably more than Derek knew, but here nonetheless. Stiles was home.

She was finally home.

* * *

Derek could only sit back with the Sheriff and watch with worry as Deaton and Melissa worked on Stiles, blood covered clothes lying around from where they'd been removed from the girl. Stiles' face was soft and peaceful in sleep, contrasting with the horrible state she was in. Melissa had her concentrating face on while Deaton looked impassive, both with fingers working swiftly and with ease. Neither of them looked like Stiles was dying, which seemed to soothe Derek ever so slightly.

There were stitches being sewn, blood being stopped, every inch of Stiles being checked. Melissa's face, while keeping a professionalism that Derek appreciated, still darkened the more Stiles' body was revealed from the blood and dirt that seemed to cover her. John was sitting as close to her as he could while not getting in the way of either of them, but his face was pale and unmoving from his daughter's face. After what felt like several hours, and was probably at least an hour, Melissa and Deaton stood back, faces showing a bit of exhaustion and worry.

"We've done what we can for now. She's lost a lot of blood and I would feel more comfortable if we could take her to a hospital." Melissa looked over at John and Derek, switching between them as if uncertain of who to ask. Derek was alpha but John was her father. Either way, both men shook their heads at her question.

"She wouldn't let us." Derek said softly, moving in closer to see the small figure laid out on the table. "She was worried they'd ask too many questions." Her face still looked so calm compared to the mayhem that had been her body. Bandages wrapped around everywhere, the stark white against her still bloodied skin.

"I can understand that." Melissa seemed a bit uncomfortable, looking at Deaton who nodded for her to continue. She ushered both of them over, grabbing a clean washcloth and cleaning off a patch of skin near her shoulder. The blood came off slowly, only to reveal a stark white line, ever so slightly raised. A low growl rumbled from Derek's chest, eyes flashing as he looked at her more carefully. Underneath the blood and dirt were many white lines, her body scarred and covered in bruises.

"How old is it?" John asked, voice barely audible as he looked so upset, knowing that his daughter had gone through such hardships over the past few years.

"This one isn't too old. They cover her body, in various spots. Not all of them are really visible, but you can feel the difference when you touch her skin. Her back though…" Melissa trailed off, eyes getting a slightly haunted look. Derek wasted no time in lifting her ever so carefully up to reveal her back, slightly bandaged like the rest of her and still covered in blood. His eyes stayed red, blood going cold as he saw the large white stripes that painted her back, old scars but still strong against her skin.

"She'll have to stay in bed for a few days to give her body a chance to heal up and get back into shape. No running around or walking more than absolutely necessary." Melissa rubbed at her eyes with a tiredness that went more than just physically. When Stiles' mother had died, Melissa had tried to be there as much as she could. To her, this was her daughter too. "When she wakes up, try to get some food into her, let her rest. Don't worry about clean up until she has a bit more energy. Just, be careful with her. Any of those stitches tear, you let me know."

"We'll look after her." Derek affirmed, knowing there was no way in hell that he could be anywhere but near Stiles until he knew she was better. John seemed to have accepted it and nodded, looking a little haunted, but there was a determination in his eyes that calmed Derek down further. Stiles might not be okay right now, but she had people who would do anything to make sure she would get better.

"When are you going to tell pack?" Deaton asked Derek, packing up various things they used while Melissa bagged up the bloodied rags. Derek rubbed the back of his neck, eyes never leaving Stiles' slumbering face.

"I'll tell them once Stiles is settled in her bed. I don't want them going crazy, which I know they will, but if I don't tell them I don't think I'll ever be forgiven." Derek gave a sad smile, watching John gently touch his daughter's hand, the one without the bandage.

With help from John, Derek lifted Stiles so she was carefully in his arms, walking her to her old bedroom which worked as a storage room and a guest bedroom. John grabbed linen from the cupboard, ignoring his own injury as he hurried to set the bed up before Stiles was laid gently across it. She looked so young, lying on the clean sheets covered in bandages. Melissa had at least managed to shove a large shirt on her that went mid-thigh and kept her modest. It made her look all the smaller.

"She'll be okay." John whispered, pushing her hair back ever so gently, a few tears slipping down his face. "She's a Stilinski. She managed to get home, she's strong enough to get well." The Sheriff looked at Derek with gratitude and happiness, a light that had been out of the Sheriff for so long finally returning.

"She's going to be fine." Derek said to the retreating Sheriff, taking his own lingering look as he left. "I'll make sure of it."

* * *

**Don't rush over, but Stiles is home. **

It was a simple message, and despite Derek knowing that the warning at the beginning would be completely ignored, he still had to dry. John was sitting by his daughter's bed side, just watching his daughter as if afraid if he let her out of his sight, she'd disappear again. Derek couldn't fault the man, his own ears focused solely on the soft heartbeat that beat against her chest.

Predictably, it was Scott who rushed over first, face red and out of breath as he attempted to charge his ways up the stairs. Derek grabbed him, holding his beta down as he attempted to calm the irrational wolf. Stiles was resting at the moment and wouldn't need to be woken up by Scott stumbling about and getting too enthusiastic.

"Where is she? How is she? Why won't you let me see her? Is she hurt? Why is she even here and not at the hospital if she's injured?" Scott's mouth ran a mile a minute, desperation clearly in his eyes. Derek just held him back, letting him take a few deep breaths before he started explaining.

"She's in her room with the Sheriff at the moment. We're letting them be while she rests up for a while. She's wounded, but she's doing okay. And she wouldn't let us take her to the hospital." Derek spoke firmly to Scott, letting the words sink in before Scott stopped struggling against his alpha. Leading him to the couch, Derek sat down next to Scott, letting the silence just envelope them for a moment, each of them attempting to gather their thoughts.

"How did she get here?" Scott turned to his alpha, biting his lip as his eyes were wide with worry. Derek shrugged, having not had a chance to talk to her yet.

"She drove over. Knocked on the door. It was bad. She was just… there was just a lot of blood and I think she was in shock. I think all of us were at that moment." Derek stumbled a bit, at a loss for words as he tried to explain. He just wanted to know what had happened to his pack mate and then kill whoever was responsible. Those bruises, cuts and scars looked painful, and her body was covered. Had the whole time she'd been gone been full of torture? Stiles was strong, but even the strongest could only hold on for so long.

Before Scott could say anything more, Boyd and Erica walked into the house, looking around frantically. Their little boy, Kyle, didn't look phased by his parent's behaviour, instead toddling over to his alpha and seeing more serious faces, making his own face frown slightly.

"Alpha, what's happenin'?" He asked, dark chocolate eyes imploring the alpha. Derek looked at the little boy, his face softening as he turned to the three year old who had managed to sense something was going on.

"Our pack mate is finally home. You remember us talking about Stiles?" He asked Kyle, seeing the dark curls bounce on his head as he nodded his head enthusiastically. "She came home today."

"That's good then." The little boy said firmly before waddling away to play with the toys that John always kept around for the pups. Smiling softly, Derek watched him hone in on the Legos and start fiddling around.

"She is okay, but with the Sheriff. She needs her rest." Derek turned to look at Boyd and Erica who visibly relaxed at the news, collapsing on the opposite couch. Erica couldn't help but shove her face in Boyd's neck, trying to calm her breathing down as she was tempted to start bawling her eyes out.

"How bad?" Boyd asked, arms pulling Erica into a tight hug as he looked at Derek.

"Nothing that Melissa and Deaton couldn't handle." Derek said simply, not really wanting to go into too much detail. All of it made the anger inside of him even stronger, and he was positive that the rest of the pack would feel similar, making them do something rash and ill thought.

Not soon after that, the rest of the pack tumbled in, all looking excited and worried, the buzz of tension tight in the room. Allison walked over to Scott, letting their four year old go as she squirmed to join Kyle with the toys, neither really understanding what was going on. The baby in her arms was handed off to Scott, the pudgy pink face sleeping in the soft yellow blankets.

Isaac and his mate, Wendy, walked in soon afterwards, their two year old struggling to escape Isaac's arms to he could join the other kids who were giggling as they played. Danny and Jackson followed closely, hands tight as they looked around for their missing pack mate, both flicking their eyes up to the room where Stiles' heart was beating. It was easy to pick out, so different and yet hauntingly familiar. Five years was a long time.

It didn't take long for Lydia to come inside, face looking expectant as Derek gave the quick rundown. Her mate, Tim, came in a second later, their daughter chatting happily to him as he grabbed a seat on the floor by Lydia. Finally Peter and Chris walked inside, completing the pack.

Derek explained in a bit more detail now that they were all here, trying as best as he could to avoid the pups from overhearing things that could frighten them. They didn't want to alarm the pups, but Derek knew the adults needed to know how serious this was. Everyone whispered to each other, but Derek knew that each of them that could had their ears trained on the steady heartbeat of Stiles.

Eventually the Sheriff came downstairs, Allison and Danny having migrated to the kitchen to cook food for the pack. Derek instantly turned to watch the Sheriff walk down, looking so aged but also having a relieved expression on his face. Is daughter was home, injured and possibly broken, but home nonetheless.

"You want me to sit up there with her?" Derek asked, even though both of them knew he would go up their either way. When he nodded, Derek was instantly up, already in the room and taking the vacated seat from the Sheriff. Stiles was still fast asleep, face devoid of any hurt or worry which calmed Derek down immensely. He'd always been worried after she'd disappeared, like some part of him would always be focused on her wellbeing. After years, over half a decade, his wolf felt content and full, the entire pack with him.

Not wanting to disturbed Stiles but desperate to see their pack mate, one by one everyone came upstairs to look at her. Scott was first one in, not staying too long since everyone else was impatient to get a look at her, but relaxing as he saw her, a weight being lifted from his shoulders. When he left, Allison took his place and it continued. None of the pack who had never met Stiles beforehand came and looked, but that was okay. When they'd first been introduced to the pack, they'd all learned about Stiles and how she was missing, how the pack always held her as part of them. Once a year, on the day of her disappearance, it was like their day of mourning her, the pack going silent and sullen. Last year it had fallen on the full moon and the entire night had been filled with mournful howls.

But Stiles was back. They may have fought through a lot together as a pack, grown together to be stronger, but that never diminished Stiles' place with them. Threats had come and tried to remove them, but they had stayed strong. Hunters had tried to kill them, but they'd prevailed. Now they had Stiles back with them, and it seemed like everything was right in the world. Derek only worried about how she was going to cope, how she'd changed after so many years. He hoped that it would be okay.

* * *

**A/N **Okay, so so so sorry! I didn't realise it had been over a month since I had last updated! Oh man I'm not doing too good here. But do not fear! I am almost at Uni break, so prepare yourselves! I'm hoping to get this out quick because you guys really like it and because you send me lovely messages. Those messages make me want to write more, seriously! I want to work on a few stories, got a lil' bit of inspiration so that's always a plus. So look out for those!

And how great is it that Stiles is back home?! Lovin' it. Also, don't mind the football references. I freakin' love football, Seattle Seahawks are my fav (duh, those boys are damn fine) so I had to slip some in. I know everyone is always going on about baseball, but I know absolutely nothing about baseball, so I went with what I know.

Let me know what you think so far! Seriously, tell me. I want to know. Because it helps improve my story + give me more reasons to update quicker! Let me know guys! Thanks for being patient!


	9. Chapter 9

There were many different things that Stiles noticed when she first woke up, but the most important thing at least in her mind was the deep breathing of someone sleeping right next to her. For a moment she was relaxed and calm, but slowly becoming aware of her surroundings, she felt a wrongness that had her alarmed. The rule was that no one ever slept in her bed or too close to her. Many times Ben and Evan had tried, but after a few incidents involving a knife, the rumours had started spreading. Word got out that Zemsta was just a really good fuck but that Zemsta would cut off your cock if you dared stay longer, even though she'd never physically castrated someone.

But right now there was someone in her bed, and she could feel the bandages on her body, becoming hyperaware of her surroundings. She had been hurt and was now currently vulnerable. Someone had thought they could just try to take advantage of her like this? While she was weak? Instinct had complete control, adrenaline pumping through her system, even though there was that niggling in her brain that made her think things were alright. But that had to be wrong, because things were never alright.

The sleeping person was to her right, head lying on the bed she was on, and her eyes opened, not really taking in the decoration of where she was except to search for a weapon. A dark head was leaning on the bed, and Stiles spotted a screwdriver sitting on the bedside table. In the back of her mind she questioned why a motel would have a screwdriver, but it didn't matter. Taking a deep breath despite the adrenaline quickening her heart, she dived for the screwdriver the same moment the person woke up.

Using her training and relying on instinct, Stiles was out of bed, fingers tightened around the screwdriver and swinging as an arm went to stop her. There was a growl and her stomach dropped. Werewolf. Being so under prepared for this, no weapons except for a screwdriver, she knew she needed to escape if she was to survive. As she scrambled for the door, something smacked hard into her, knocking her to the ground. Instinct was sharp, though, and she lashed out. Her foot connected with the soft underside of a belly, and she punched the attacker in the face before squirming away from the tight grip.

As soon as Stiles was free, she stumbled to stand up, only to be smacked chest first into a nearby wall without warning. Her wrists were grabbed in one strong hand behind her at the same time she felt the rumble of a growl behind her. She continued to struggle, fear pumping into her system as she cursed her luck. Being mauled by a werewolf had never been on the agenda. The screwdriver was twisted out of her grip, leaving her completely at the wolf's mercy. She felt a solid wall of muscle behind her, keeping her legs stationary as the other arm wrapped tight around her body. Her wrists got trapped between the wolf's hard stomach, the hand dropping them to push hair off the back of her neck. The hair was replaced with a set of teeth, digging in gently against her skin. There was a low growl, and suddenly she just went limp, the fight completely leaving her involuntarily.

The growl changed into something more approving of her submissive behaviour, and Stiles felt the tears start to form in her eyes, but she held them back, refusing to show the weakness despite her circumstance. She'd been caught and captured somehow, completely at the wolf's mercy. The teeth were removed a moment later before a tongue swiped over the marks, almost repenting of the action.

"It's okay, Stiles. I've got you." A soft voice whispered into her skin, the arm holding her up since her legs were weak from losing the fight. That voice, she recognised it. It was then that everything that had happened hit her. The missions, killing the Tobias family, returning home. _Home._ She was finally home. This wasn't some unknown wolf that had captured her. This was her alpha. Her body started shaking from the rush of everything, Stiles almost positive it had been all a dream.

The arms helped her turn around, holding most of her weight until she came face to face with soft eyes looking at her carefully, almost fearful of her reaction. There was a pause as Stiles just stared up at him, before suddenly a harsh whimper escaped her throat, causing her to curl up in herself as it all just came crashing into her. There was a soft hushing noise as she was pulled into a tight hug, Derek holding her and taking all her weight. Her fingers clutched into his shirt, almost going white from the tight grip she had on him.

"This is real." She whispered hoarsely into his shoulder, barely holding off the tears that threatened to fall. Her entire body shook with the intensity of what was going on, of all the emotions crashing down on her as she just held onto him, refusing to let go. She barely noticed herself being lifted up into Derek's arm, but she did notice when he laid them both on the bed. He was still holding her tightly, his arms tightening around her to stop the trembles that shook her body, but Stiles couldn't stop. She'd made it home. Somehow she had managed to defy all odds and made it back home to her father and her pack. She'd done the impossible.

There was no way for Stiles to know how long Derek held her for, but he was gentle with her, keeping her close and whispering that it was okay every so often. It took a while, but finally the shaking stopped, her body losing all energy and her eyes starting to flutter close. Eventually Derek pulled away, jolting her awake ever so slightly, his fingers carefully removing her clenched fists that had his shirt tucked into her fingers.

A moment later and the Sheriff's head appeared in the doorway, looking a little sleep ruffled but rubbing his eyes as if desperate to be awake to see his daughter. Stiles watched him, her heart beating painfully as she saw the wrinkles on her father's face, saw how aged he had become. The tears she had held back on tried to come right back. Without a word, her father came to the bed and slid down to join her, arms wrapping her into a tight hug, still slightly gentle because of her injuries. The shaking thankfully didn't come back, but she could feel his tears dripping onto the crown of her head, knowing that her father who rarely cried was crying because of her.

"I missed you, Stiles. I missed you so much." Her father whispered into her hair, holding her close to his chest.

"I love you, dad." She half choked out, eyes squeezed shut as she tried to control the tears. It had been six years since they'd been together, and words just couldn't justify how much they'd missed each other. They were the only family left to each other.

"I love you so much. When you disappeared, I just-just. It was bad. I barely coped." Her dad rocked them both gently, moving them more comfortably on the bed. Stiles let him, feeling safe and protected in his arms. She'd always felt safe and protected with her father around. At first she'd assumed it was because he was a cop, but it was more than that. Without a doubt, she knew he would have done everything and anything he could have to find her, never giving up on her. "What happened to you, Stiles?"

Stiles froze at the question, her body going stiff suddenly and losing the calm and relaxed pose from before. She pulled away, separating their bodies and looking at the door, unable to meet his gaze. There were conflicting emotions going on within her, and at the moment she was at a loss. _What father would want a murderer now?_ The words echoed in her mind, like a knife being shoved into her stomach. Zander had been right, to an extent. Not knowing about what she had done would protect her father and the pack, because there were those out there who wanted to kill her for the crimes she had committed.

"No." She shook her head, continuing to look away from him despite the Sheriff trying to catch her eyes. His hand grabbed hers, encouraging her as best as he could. It took a moment, but she looked at him. "Please, no." She whispered hoarsely, throat feeling raw from all the emotions hitting her harder than anything had in so long.

"Okay, it's okay." The Sheriff hushed her, pulling her to his side and trying to soothe her. Her fingers clutched tightly onto her father, just revelling in the warmth and security he was permeating. A moment later and there was a knock, Derek poking his head to see them wrapped up in each other in their family reunion. Stiles hadn't even realised he'd left, having been too focused on her father.

"I brought some food. Melissa said you needed to eat as soon as you could." Derek had a tray with a bowl of soup on it, the Sheriff moving out of the way so they could rest it on the bed. Stiles felt exhausted emotionally and physically, her body aching terribly. It wasn't anything she couldn't handle, in fact she'd had dealt with a lot worse while expected to carry on as if nothing was wrong. Pain was nothing new to her.

Stiles started eating slowly, knowing that the two men were watching her carefully, as expecting her to break. She wasn't as fragile as they thought she was. There was a silence, kind of awkward, and Stiles didn't know how to break it. Words used to be her thing, but not anymore. They had been beaten out of her, breaking her of the babbling habit until silence had become her default. She didn't know how to break past that so she just allowed the quiet.

"That looks good, Derek. I think I'll grab some too." The Sheriff rubbed the back of his head awkwardly before leaving the room, Stiles too focused on her bowl and feeling like she'd disappointed him.

It was pitiful just how the awkwardness seemed to stay in the room. Feeling helpless, Stiles focused on eating. Logically she knew that she was safe and that the Tobias family couldn't hurt her and her pack anymore, but there was that niggling feeling. Making the words form, it was just asking for too much. It didn't feel natural anymore, and despite how she used to be a master of the oral language, she just couldn't make herself do anything.

"The pack are doing good." Derek jumped in, breaking her from her dark thoughts, seeming eager to get some normalcy in the room. "We're a lot bigger than what you would remember. With Erica pregnant again too, that just means we're even larger." He gave her a hesitant smile, something that surprised Stiles. The Derek she remembered would never have smiled. He had always been surly and negative. It seemed she wasn't the only one who had changed.

"Erica's okay?" Stiles managed to stumble out. The last she had seen Erica had been when she and Boyd had been tied up in the Argent's basement, electricity torturing them. It had haunted her, not knowing whether or not they were alive. She'd known that they had been freed from the basement, only to be taken by the Alpha pack. The pack had been desperate to have any signs if they were alive before Stiles had been taken.

"Her and Boyd are okay." Derek nodded, watching her carefully as Stiles sagged in relief. "We got them back not long after you were kidnapped. They were married a couple of years ago and have a son. She's hoping the next one is a girl." Derek smiled softly to himself, his chest puffing up slightly as if it was his own pup.

She was shocked, surprised at the news. There was a happy nod from the alpha, who seemed to beam at the thought. Pups meant a striving and safe pack. No pack would allow pups if they weren't in a position to keep them protected. It was a sign of strength and being a cohesive pack. It meant a healthy pack. To be in that position now let Stiles know things had been fixed up in the pack. Her friends now had babies and had grown together. They'd obviously tried to heal the hole where she'd been, and for a moment she feared that there was no longer a spot for her in the pack.

"They were here yesterday, all of them including some members you wouldn't know. They're all eager to see you." Came the soft words, soothing her subconscious fear of being replaced. Body relaxing, Stiles was able to eat a little more before pushing away a half-eaten bowl of soup. Of course the pack would still have a spot for her; they didn't know the monster she had become. It would be best if they never discovered that either. It would be safer for them.

Stiles glanced at the discarded screwdriver on the ground, feeling guilty at her attempting to attack Derek. Thankfully she hadn't been in her right mind otherwise she really could have done some damage to him. Thinking about when she'd done made her worry. If she had even contained just a knife, Derek would have been dead. She could have seriously injured him because she had been careless. Mistakes like that couldn't happen again. If all went to plan, she'd never have to fight again. She needed to get rid of those instincts.

"Don't worry about it. You were pretty out of it. You didn't pull any stitches?" Derek brushed it off, making Stiles calm slightly. She shook her head to answer his question. He didn't seem to think anything of it, which would protect him in the long run. If Derek discovered the monster she really was, he would have no choice but to kick her out of the pack. Or kill her. It was the smart thing to do, and after working so hard to get home, Stiles was unwilling to risk it.

There was more silence, Stiles lying back against the pillows as Derek moved her bowl to the dresser. Looking at the ceiling, Stiles wished that none of the past had happened to her. Being with her pack was a danger if it was ever discovered that she hadn't died with the Tobias family. Hopefully the bodies would be burnt enough for no one to know who they were, and the hunting community would just assume that the Tobias family had finally been taken out as had been threatened for years by various packs. They would forget about Zemsta and then Stiles' pack would be safe. She was a passing phase. Stiles' fingers rubbed against one of her bandages, wincing slightly as she put too much pressure on one point.

"Let me go grab some painkillers. Melissa wants you to stay in bed for a while and give your body a chance to heal up before anything else. She's coming this afternoon to just check up on your stitches and everything." Derek let her know, watching her as she simply nodded. He left for a moment, returning swiftly with a glass of water and a couple of tablets which Stiles quickly swallowed down. Derek left again, taking the bowl away as Stiles stayed on the bed.

Using some effort, she managed to manoeuvre herself under the covers and warm her body up. The shirt she was wearing proudly proclaimed the Beacon Hills Police Department, an old shirt that her dad had worn during his really fat days, right after her mother had died. That had been a tough time for the both of them, and they'd managed to get through that heartache. Surely they could manage this time too.

Derek came in a moment later, retaking the chair he had occupied before. The Sheriff walked past, waving slightly as he saw her looking. Stiles gave him a sleepy smile, which appeased the Sheriff. It was amazing that her dad was doing okay with everything. There was no way Stiles ever wanted him to know about her being a monster. He'd lose that smile.

"I heard what you told your father." Derek finally said, fiddling with his phone from his pocket as he watched her face. She waited for him to ask his question, already knowing what it was going to be. "I know you didn't tell him, but you need to tell me, Stiles."

"No." She refused, looking towards the window and attempting to wiggle her way more comfortable without irritating her wounds. The pain was still strong, but it was easily ignored.

"Yes. I am your alpha, and those marks on your body, the things that I know you've gone through, you need to tell me." He whispered more forcefully, looking at her seriously, but Stiles refused eye contact. It was weak, not giving eye contact, but Stiles didn't care. She was allowed to finally be weak instead of always being an impossible force.

Stiles finally looked at him, bottom lip trembling as the guilt festered in her stomach. There was always going to be that guilt, nothing would ever change that. No one else needed to be aware of its presence, and everyone who could tell her story was now dead. Instead of saying anything, she just shook her head.

"You are pack! Whoever did this to you, they can't go unpunished! I won't let them, the pack won't let them. I need to- I mean the pack wants to keep you safe. We aren't going to let anything like that happen to you again. But we have to know what we're up against. We have to know." Derek seemed obviously frustrated with her lack of cooperation, but Stiles didn't care. It wasn't information that he needed to know. She did appreciate his reasons, knowing that it was for her protection and that the pack was willing to do anything to protect her.

The whipping scars along her back made by Zander, the 'training' wounds from the rest of the Tobias family, even the numerous scratches and claw marks from her victims. Every single mark was from someone who couldn't hurt her again. She'd made sure of that. Derek and the rest of the pack didn't need to worry, and they didn't need to know what had happened to her either.

"We only just got you back, we can't lose you already." Derek's eyes were wide and imploring, seemingly desperate for any information that he could work from. Almost desperate for her to speak more, but Stiles felt an exhaustion that hit her hard. Like the past six years had just decided to pile up on top of her, making her unwilling to keep her eyes open.

There was a hard glint in her eyes as she looked at Derek, a glare that she knew made other hunters tremble and werewolves pee themselves with fear. Derek flinched slightly, but stubbornly held it, his chin lifted ever so slightly. Instead of answering, Stiles turned away, displaying her unwillingness to continue with the one sided conversation.

"You will tell me. Maybe not now, but eventually you will." He vowed right back at her, and Stiles had no effort to continue arguing with him. The pain killers were finally kicking in enough that her mind was going a little bit fuzzy. She was just tired. Tired of trying to keep her family safe, tired of running, of being wary of everything she did. She was home now, which meant she could relax. "Just sleep now. I'll keep you safe." Derek whispered to her as her eyes fluttered shut, his promise enough to let her relax and drift off into a medicated slumber.

* * *

When Melissa came to check up on her, the older woman was in tears, smiling brightly at Stiles. She was gentle with checking the wounds, making a pleased noise to indicate that it was healing well and there was no sign of infection. Derek watched it all carefully, almost uncertain of how to handle this new Stiles. It was probably going to be an issue for everyone, especially since Stiles wouldn't be the only one different now. Everyone was going to have to relearn each other. They were different people now, as much as that hurt Stiles to admit.

"You think she'd be able to handle the pack?" Derek asked Melissa, the nurse contemplating for a moment before nodding.

"Everything is looking really good. As long as she stays in bed and doesn't do anything strenuous, I don't see an issue. Just no rough housing." She told Derek, the alpha nodding and walking her out of the house. That was another weird thing to Stiles. Derek knew her house, had been there with her father when she'd come home. How long had that been going on for? Never did she expect her father and Derek to even be civil to each other, let along friends. He knew her house and her father far better than she did, and she had to admit it stung a little.

"I don't think it's a good idea to have the whole pack here to visit at once, but one or two at a time shouldn't be too bad. Are you alright with that?" Derek asked when he came back, and Stiles nodded. It was odd being asked a question with the ability to say no. Her decisions for the last six years had been non-existent. It was either comply or someone you loved died.

Stiles was in bed for another hour, a bathroom break in between that involved Derek helping her there and back. It was slightly awkward, but Stiles accepted it since her body needed that time to heal. She wasn't used to getting help when she was injured. It had more or less been every man for themselves, everyone needing to be in top shape for the next mission which happened at any given moment. The chance to actually rest up without worrying about the next mission was refreshing.

There was a knock at the door downstairs and someone yelled out before Derek made his way to meet the visitor. A moment later and Stiles could hear them whispering to each other as they made their way upstairs, but unable to hear what they were saying with her hearing. The door opened slowly and Derek walked inside, Scott trailing after him.

Her best friend looked so much older now, even sporting a little bit of stubble, though nothing like what Derek managed. There was still that same dopey smile with his adorably crooked jaw, still the same brown eyes and shaggy hair. But there was a lot more confidence in his stance, a lot more assurance and acceptance of who he was. That was definitely knew, along with the wedding band on his left hand.

"Stiles." He sighed out, visibly relaxing as he took her in. He gave her a massive smile, but Stiles found she couldn't return it. Seeing Scott was just a kick in the stomach, because here was someone different from her memories, someone who had grown and changed. He was even married now! This was someone she really didn't know.

Scott walked over, ignoring Derek's chair, and practically throwing himself onto the bed with Stiles. Derek growled, but Scott completely ignored him, making Stiles realise that deep down, this was still her best friend who she had known for ages. There was just more to him now, but he was still the Scott she knew.

"I missed you so much!" Scott cried out, hugging her tightly. Stiles found she didn't mind, enjoying the closeness that came so naturally to Scott even after so long. Hugging and touching wasn't something she was used to, her contact with people the last few years generally involving a lot more weaponry and a lot more blood. It gave her a warm feeling that spread and she realised how much she loved the closeness. It permeated a feeling of safety and love that had been absent from her life for too long.

She'd really missed him too, feeling Scott pull back and wipe at his eyes, not worried in the slightest that crying could make him look weak. He scuttled off the bed after that, taking Derek's seat as the alpha stood near the wall and just watched everything, acting like a body guard in case Scott became too rough and too much for Stiles to handle. Stiles appreciated the gesture.

"You missed so much! I mean, what was happening six years ago?" Scott started gushing, taking a moment as if contemplating what he was going to say. "Me and Allison got back together after the whole alpha pack thing, and then I accidently got her knocked up so Chris made us get married. He was so mad, but then he mellowed out once Nina was born." Scott pulled out his walled and fished for some pictures, showing one of a girl with Allison's eyes and Scott's innocent face. "Nina's four now and is a menace. I swear she's worse than both of us combined at that age."

Stiles realised she was supposed to talk, but thinking of what exactly she should say was extremely difficult. She'd talked more this past while than she had for the past couple of years. When Stiles didn't reply, Scott seemed a bit surprised, a hint of confusion in his gaze, but in true Scott fashion he brushed it off and continued on as if nothing weird was going on, although Stiles could detect the hint of wariness in his voice, as if he was realising that she was a different person too.

"Yeah. Allison swears she looks just like me, but she has Allison's eyes. We've got another daughter too. Little Hailey. She was born a few months ago and she is practically a copy of Allison. I think there's even a tinge of red in her hair like Allison's mom." Scott pulled out another photo, showing off a pudgy baby with a red face. Scott looked so proud of his little family, so much love and happiness showing in his eyes. So Scott had gotten the girl and the family he had always wanted. Stiles was glad for him.

There was silence for a moment, as if Scott expected Stiles to tell him about her life for the past six years, but that wasn't going to happen. She looked at her wall to avoid the awkward tension that started to build, glancing at the poster of Tom Hiddleston that was half hanging on the wall still. That was just before Scott and her had gone to see the Avengers back in 2012, both of them in love with the movie. While she had been hunting, there hadn't been time for movies and TV shows. She had six years' worth of shows to catch up on.

"Uh, so how long until you'll be able to get out of bed?" Scott asked her, but it was Derek who answered once it became clear that Stiles wasn't too inclined to answering. The conversation had taken an uncomfortable turn and she didn't know how to stop it. That wasn't her speciality anymore.

"Your mom said a few days at the least. She has to be careful of the stitches." The alpha told his beta, Stiles picking at the blanket to occupy her hands. The pain had gotten a bit stronger, but Stiles wasn't bothered by it. It was familiar, more familiar than most things at the moment. Conversations had never been awkward between Stiles and Scott. This was a new turn that had her fumbling around.

"Well, surprisingly I went to college, mainly with the help of Allison. She studied teaching while I went for vet science. If it wasn't for Allison I wouldn't have been able to finish. I work for Deaton now which is pretty awesome. Sometimes I help out with fixing up the wolves too, depending on the need." Scott laughed softly to himself, but he had piped Stiles' attention.

Stiles gave both of them a surprised look at hearing the news about threats, startling Scott ever so slightly. Derek made no movement, obviously allowing Scott to be in charge of the conversation. Stiles looked at him, seeing that there was no worry in his eyes, meaning it had been nothing major.

"Yeah, I mean nothing we didn't handle. It helps that we've got a treaty with the Argents. That means we can just focus on keeping others out. There have been witches, other wolf packs, other supernatural creatures. Deaton said something about Beacon Hills being a hotspot for supernatural activity. Oh, remember that group of omegas who were trying to kill an alpha so they could officially become a pack? That was crazy." Scott laughed, looking at Derek who nodded.

Stiles was surprised that so much had happened to them. At least she had made it easier by keeping her end of the bargain with the Tobias'. By doing what they wanted, they hadn't attacked her father. Knowing that her father was now part of the pack meant that her pack could have been in trouble too.

"I need to get back to the clinic. Is there a pack meeting tonight?" Scott turned to look at the alpha, who shook his head, escorting Scott out and leaving Stiles to mull everything she'd just learnt over in her mind. As much as Scott had changed, he was still familiar. That was a positive.

"Are you okay?" Derek asked gently when he got back, Stiles looking at him, seeing the soft expression on his face. Instead of verbally answering, she gave a small sigh before curling under the blankets, knowing that Derek would understand that things were a bit overwhelming at the moment. A wave of exhaustion hit her, so Stiles indulged herself and let her eyes drift close. Had she kept them open a second later, she would have seen Derek watching her fondly, his hand outstretched to move a stray lock of hair, only to catch himself and quickly leave the room, leaving the door wide open.

* * *

**A/N **I know you all were itching for Stiles to tell the pack and to see the pack's reaction to everything, but I never actually intended to let them know. Sorry guys! You're just going to have to wait and see!

BUT I FINISHED WRITING MY DRAFT OF THIS STORY! Guys, I have finished writing this! I mean, besides some edits (actually a lot), I've managed to get it all written down. Seriously, this is amazing. It's super long, I think my longest story yet, but I am so happy. Seriously, this is so great. In case you haven't noticed, I am so excited. It does mean that I _should _update quicker and more regularly, so that's a big bonus!

Anyways, let me know what you thought! Seriously, keep guessing, keep telling me what you think. I read all your messages and love hearing from you all. It's like crack to me :D


	10. Chapter 10

"Man! You missed out on the last couple of 100 Marvel movies! There are so many, it's ridiculous! I mean, Avenger's 3 is coming out soon and it's going to be so awesome!" Scott was lounging on the couch next to Stiles, having discovered that Stiles hadn't seen movies in the past six years. Stiles could still remember when Iron Man had first come out, the two of them having gone to the midnight premier, all excited and hyped up on so much sugar. That had cemented the love of Robert Downey Jr. for Stiles and since then they had aimed for every Marvel movie midnight premier. As long as they could, at least.

They were seated in the living room, dinner having just finished and Allison currently bathing Nina. It had been a week since Stiles had come back home, her body a lot better than it had been before. The past week had consisted of lots of sleeping, avoiding Derek's questions and trying to get used to a new life that didn't involve killing. She'd been visited by most of the pack, but had yet to meet the new members of the pack that had come while she was gone. The only ones she had met had been Nina and baby Hailey, the little girl currently sleeping on Derek. The Sheriff was cleaning up the kitchen while Scott was still rambling.

Having dinner with Allison and Scott had proved to be a genius move. The past dinners with Derek and her dad had been sterile feeling and completely awkward, the silence and tension heavy in the air. Stiles didn't know how to get around it, the blabbering ability she once had now completely gone. In a way it left her empty and uncertain of how to proceed. It wasn't a feeling she was used to. But having the McCall's to dinner, except Melissa who had to work, had eased things immensely. Allison had made sure she kept talking, filling silences with stories from the high school she worked at. Nina was also constantly chatting away, sneaking glances at Stiles since she didn't know Stiles too well.

"You're lucky that I bought all the DVDs. I can lend them to you and then we can talk about them, like we use to." Scott brightened at the idea, making Stiles smile slightly at the goofball. She knew it unnerved Scott that she barely spoke. Making herself talk was possibly the hardest thing to do, her body getting worried every time she even said no or yes. It was like Stiles was expecting a fist to slam into her and force her to be quiet. Although she knew being home didn't hold those sorts of punishments, it was hard to overcome six years of constant conditioning.

"Okay." Stiles nodded, her peripheral vision noticing Derek seeming pleased with her reaction. She had been making a greater effort to talk, and the more she spoke, the more Derek was happy. There was that need to please Derek that had her wanting to be better, and she chalked it up to wanting to please her alpha, not because it was Derek. Scott seemed equally as enthralled. One word answers were easier than sentences, but a tingle of fear still ran down her spine for every word she said.

There was a knock at the front door, and Derek lifted his head, tilting it slightly before handing the baby to Scott and going to answer it. The beta lifted his head and sniffed, shifting slightly until he had a more protective hold on his daughter, also pushing his body closer to Stiles in a position she could only describe as shielding.

"It's the hunters from next door." Scott whispered to Stiles, and Stiles froze, looking at him in confusion. "They moved in about five years ago. Supposedly they're out of the business, but Derek doesn't trust them." Scott explained, and something clicked suddenly in Stiles' brain.

"_I have friends moving to where your father is. They're an old hunting family that recently retired after their only son went into the army instead of hunting. They owe me a few major favors, so I cashed that in. They'll be watching over your father, making sure he's looked after. I promised that I looked after my own." _

Without a doubt, Stiles knew exactly who this family was. The timing was too impeccable, and it seemed to all fit together too perfectly to be anything but the hunting family loyal to Zander. Hiding her emotions was a knee jerk reaction, but she was glad that she did. Scott didn't need to smell her deep hatred for the people walking into her house. It would bring too many questions, and Stiles needed to avoid as many questions as possible.

Derek walked into the living room with a couple in their fifties, the woman carrying a plate of cookies. To any normal person they just seemed like your average, nice couple. But Stiles swept her eyes over them with a hunter's perspective, seeing the scars that hinted underneath clothing. They were quite fit and healthy for their age, no doubt continuing their training. They were good at their job since they'd manage to avoid the detection of Derek with their real purpose for being in Beacon Hills.

"Stiles, this is Mr. and Mrs. Garret from next door." Derek introduced them carefully, just as the Sheriff walked into the room. The couple looked at her with interest, eyes calculating and similar to that of a hunter's gaze. It unnerved Stiles, but she showed indifference to the couple.

"Martha and Phil, lovely to see you." The Sheriff's tone suggested that it wasn't actually, but his face was in a smile. Ever the polite Sheriff still.

"We heard just this afternoon that you're daughter had been found. I know we're invading with the pack here, but I just couldn't help but bake some cookies for you guys. I know how much you missed her and we just wanted to welcome her into the neighborhood." Martha spoke sweetly, Stiles not buying it for a moment. She could see the eyes flickering to her, a hint of worry as if she knew that Stiles would know exactly who they were.

Stiles did.

"That was kind of you." The Sheriff thanked them, taking the proffered cookies. Scott looked at the cookies with a big grin, his eyes twinkling at the thought of chocolate chip cookies. They had always been his weakness and it seemed that was still the case today.

"I hope you can catch whoever did this to your daughter." Phil said firmly, but Stiles was busy reading his body language to focus on his words. His words were useless, not when he spoke volumes by how he stood. They were both worried about their lives, coming in to scope out what was going on. They had to check if Stiles knew their part in the broad scheme of things.

"I don't remember it." Stiles suddenly spoke up, faking an innocent expression that gathered the attention of the entire room. She looked at her hands, faking it so good that even the wolves weren't certain if she was lying or not. Stiles knew how to control her heartbeat now, and she was utilizing the talent at the moment. She was trained to be convincing, and Stiles had been a master at all her training. There was a reason she had been called the best.

"You poor dear." Martha spoke carefully, but there was a hint of relief at the news. Her body definitely relaxed and took a softer look, more motherly and pleased than was necessary in this situation. Phil relaxed ever so slightly, not enough for Derek to catch since he was watching Stiles, but it didn't matter. Stiles had spotted it with ease.

"I don't want to remember." Stiles could feel the tension in the air, the wolves watching her with wide eyes. Any doubt that the Garret's would have had towards her completely disappeared. Pleased internally, Stiles absently looked away, completely ignoring the looks of surprise from everyone else. None of them had heard her speak as much, and Stiles didn't deny that she was radiating a panic, almost expecting a sharp pain to hurt her at any given moment.

"Thank you for visiting, Phil and Martha, but we do have an understanding in place. Make sure you call before you come over." The Sheriff looked a little uneasy at the display, especially since there were hunters in his room full of his pack. Stiles watched them carefully, slyly keeping an eye on them as she faked composing herself.

"We really meant no harm at all, Sheriff. We apologize for just popping in like this. Alpha Hale." Phil nodded to Derek as the two backed out of the house, seeming a lot more relaxed than they had before. Stiles knew exactly who they were, and their behavior had more than confirmed it for her. The two hunters might think it safe to continue to live in Beacon Hills, but Stiles had plans for them. It was just a matter of time.

"You don't remember what happened to you?" Scott looked alarmed at Stiles, Stiles avoiding his gaze. She felt bad for lying in front of them, but it was a necessity.

Instead of answering, Stiles curled up further on the couch and avoided everyone's gaze. There was a moment as if they were going to force the words from her, but Nina ran into the room, breaking the tension. Derek was frowning at Stiles, obviously having picked up something from Stiles' behavior, but Stiles ignored him. The alpha wasn't going to learn her secret, no matter how much he wanted to.

Before anyone could say anything more, there was a knock at the door, the Sheriff moving to answer, a few mumbles coming before there was a blur running into the room. A little caramel boy ran into the room, spotting Nina playing with the toys and giving a giant grin. Before he could run past, Derek grabbed him, making the little boy squeal in excitement.

"Put me down, alpha!" Came the high pitched voice, a giggle in his tone. Derek laughed, throwing him up before catching him.

"You didn't even tell me hello, and now you're trying to boss me around? Who do you think you are?" Derek fake growled, flashing his fangs but giving a grin at the wriggling boy.

"I'm the alpha!" The boy gave a tiny growl, reminding Stiles of a puppy before Derek blew a raspberry on the boy's stomach, the little boy laughing so hard his face was turning red. "You're the alpha!" He quickly fixed up while laughing and Derek set him down, ruffling his hair as he ran to join Nina.

"That would be Kyle." Erica appeared beside Stiles, hand absently rubbing at her belly as she smiled fondly at her son. She wasn't showing just yet, but the instinct was still there, the hand smooth against her flat stomach. "Looks just like Boyd."

"Acts just like you." Boyd came beside Erica, placing a quick kiss on her cheek before patting Stiles' shoulder. Erica pulled Stiles into a hug before grabbing a seat on the other couch, keeping her eye on her little boy playing.

Danny and Jackson walked in next, both making sure to scent Stiles in greeting before turning to the rest of the group. The pack were constantly touching her since she'd been back, trying to make her smell like them again. At first it had seemed a bit of a shock, Stiles not used to the touches, but she knew what it meant, and it warmed her heart despite how undeserving she was of it.

A little red blur ran into the room, darting around legs as she made it to the toys before suddenly stopping and turning to look at Stiles. Bright green eyes along with a mop of strawberry blonde locks stared at her, face turning a bit quizzical.

"Who are you?" She asked carefully, walking closer with her hands on her hip. Stiles couldn't help her grin as she looked at the miniature Lydia. The glare she got in return had Stiles leaning forward so she could get closer.

"That's Stiles, Lexi." Derek walked over, crouching low at the small girl who seemed brimming with contempt at not knowing who was in front of her.

"What's a Stiles?" She asked abruptly, seemingly unimpressed with Stiles.

"Lexi! That's so rude! We never say stuff like that!" Lydia bustled into the room, ignoring the loud room as she scolded her child. "That's not a polite thing to say."

"But I don't know what a Stiles is!" The girl stomped at her mother, a frown gracing her tiny face.

"Stiles is her name, just like Lexi is yours." Derek explained to the girl, the brain behind the girl's eyes absorbing the new information. Definitely an offspring of Lydia.

"I've never heard it before. But it's okay I guess. Not as good as Lexi." She nodded to herself, as if that decision made it final before walking to the toys. Lydia shook her head, rubbing her eyes wearily.

"I swear that child will be the death of me." Lydia lamented before bending down to give Stiles a hug.

"She's got a lot of sass, that one." Derek agreed, but Stiles found it more amusing than anything else. The rest of the adults were involved in their own conversations, a buzz going through the room that seemed to help settle Stiles. It was a comforting feeling, surrounded by pack and having the pack relaxed around her too.

"This is my husband, Tim." Lydia introduced. "He's a werefox." She explained. A tall man with shocking red hair stepped forward, bright green eyes and a wide smile. There was something about him that Stiles recognized as she shook hands with him. It took a moment or two until Stiles placed it, keeping quiet when she figured it out. There seemed to be a slight recognition from Tim, and Stiles hoped that he wouldn't be able to place where.

"Have we met before? You look familiar." Tim looked a bit confused, trying to figure it out the same puzzle. Stiles hoped that he wouldn't connect the dots. Instead of giving anything away, Stiles frowned in confusion, pretending to have no idea.

"Probably from those photos that Scott loves showing everyone. Every time a new pack mate came, he would sit them down with an album of you two when you were younger. Pitifully boring the fourth time going." Lydia rolled her eyes, coming up with a logical explanation that had Tim shrugged and moving on. Hopefully it would be enough to keep him from contemplating the situation further.

Isaac scuffled over gently, a little boy tight in his arms and staring at Stiles with wonderment. A young woman had a hand gently on Isaac's shoulder, looking peaceful as Isaac bent down to show the little boy to Stiles.

"Hey Felix, this is my friend, Stiles." The little boy hid his face, blonde curls bouncing on his head as he tried to avoid looking at Stiles. "It's okay. She won't hurt you." That seemed to have the boy peeking out at her, his bright blue eyes brilliant and shining with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

"Hi." He whispered softly, seeming as shy as Isaac ever was. Giving up on his son, Isaac stood up with a soft smile.

"This is my wife, Wendy. Wendy, this is Stiles." The woman came forward for a hug, a bit of a surprise to Stiles but she went with the flow. The woman was a bit wider in the hips, bigger than any of the other girls in the pack and just as gorgeous.

"It's so lovely to finally meet you! When Isaac said you'd come back, I was eager to meet the amazing Stiles that everyone speaks so highly of. You're a bit of a celebrity here." Wendy gave a wide and warm smile, making Stiles feel less like an outsider in this group.

It was obvious that Stiles was feeling a bit surprised that when she was gone that the pack had really missed her as much as they said. With her dad and Scott, it had been like they were always family, but the rest of the pack? What sort of impact had Stiles made on them in such a short time? It also seemed that Wendy was a master at understanding Stiles without her needing to say a word.

"Are you kidding? I've heard all the stories of you saving everyone when you guys were just teenagers! That's crazy stuff." The woman gave another crinkly smile before Felix grabbed for her attention. Stiles was in slight shock that they all though so highly of her, especially back then. She'd made a million mistakes, some that had been just plain stupid. But the reaction she was getting, it was blowing her mind.

Having been visited while she was bedridden earlier in the week, Stiles had learnt a few things already about this new pack. The entire pack had been excited to tell her what they'd been up to the past few years. Danny had become the head IT guy in Jackson's large accounting business, even though it fronted his super hacker work that was his real passion. Boyd owned a landscaping company that he partnered with Isaac in. Erica and Wendy worked for them, Wendy having a degree in horticulture that added to their business' repertoire.

Tim was an officer in the Sheriff's department while Lydia was working from home on a paper that was so horribly intelligent that Stiles couldn't keep up with the mathematical theories she kept talking about with glee and excitement. It was bound to win her that Fields medal she was itching for. The most surprising had to be Peter and Chris who worked in the gun selling business that was actually legitimate rather than just a front for hunting like Stiles had thought for years.

Even Derek had grabbed a job, owning the mechanics and working whenever he wanted. It turned out that even though the town had thought Derek a crazy maniac who killed his sister, they were willing to trust him with their vehicles, the business booming so well that the other mechanics couldn't compete and had gone out of business. It was a source of pride for Derek.

"Alright, I think we should get onto pack business." Derek stood at the front of the room an hour later, demanding attention with his alpha power that caused a hush in the room. The kids had been put to bed in the guest bedroom for now. Derek had wanted the entire pack there as it was Stiles' first pack meeting since she'd been back, which meant that no one was able to baby sit the kids.

"First off, the best news being that Stiles is back with us." There was a whoop from Scott's direction that had Allison punching him since the baby was finally asleep. He looked sheepish for a moment and then indicated to Derek that he was finished and they could continue. "There is something major that we need to discuss also, but I want our treaty reports now."

"The Fairfield pack just sent back our proposal and they're relatively happy with it. They just wanted confirmation about whether or not our other allies would help them in time of need and if they were required to do the same?" Allison asked, a pen and paper sitting in her lap.

"Depends on what the other packs want. Pretty much if they want to help they can, but they aren't obligated. It just makes us obligated in times of emergency and makes the Fairfield pack obligated too." Derek confirmed, Allison taking notes and then nodding.

"The Winter pack are still thinking about it, and I bet they'll send the proposal back with lots of changes we aren't going to like. We'll probably have to send someone over to let them know we aren't budging on anything." Lydia yawned out, stretching out before curling on her husband's lap. Derek nodded.

"I made contact with the Dire pack, so hopefully we can start there. They seemed interested in the idea, but a bit hesitant since they're relatively new. We should be okay once they read over the proposal." Isaac added his part, Derek seemingly pleased by their progress.

"We've got several treaties going on with packs around the country, but we're trying to focus on getting a good system here in California. Especially with the widespread hunter movement going on right now. Too many packs are being taken out too easily. It's times like these we need to band together, so we started the treaty system. No issues yet, but it's still in its early stages." Erica explained Stiles. It surprised Stiles that they were putting in all this effort to protect against hunters. Then Stiles remembered that her pack was full of smart and intelligent people.

"Keep me posted on how those go so we can move onto the next step. Danny, take the floor?" Derek offered it up to the man who stood up quickly and turned to the room.

"Yeah, I've gotten some interesting news down from our allies. It's actually hit the supernatural world by storm, but is still fairly new information. Pays to have spies in convenient places." Danny shrugged, looking pleased that he had sources, but there was a huff to make him get to the point, Danny rolling his eyes at Jackson.

"Get on with it." Jackson told him, but there was a sparkle of teasing in his eyes that had Danny giving a small grin.

"Anyways, words trickled down that a hunting family's been found dead." There were whispers in the group, disbelief as they all waited for more information. "There's obviously a bit of rumors about who the hunting family is, but supposedly it's the Tobias family."

That seemed to raise a response from the group, gasps and eyes wide with disbelief. Stiles felt her stomach curl uncomfortably in her gut, calculating if she'd added enough fluid to burn the bodies so bad they wouldn't be able to tell how many bodies there would be. If it was discovered that she had escaped, they would look for her. And that would make her pack in the middle of a war that could possibly kill them.

"But who would kill them?" Erica asked, fingers laced with Boyd's as they sat side by side on the lounge. There was almost a hint of relief in their eyes. It was no joke that Zemsta put the fear of death in all packs. Stiles had been the cause of her pack's worry in more ways than one.

"They were the strongest hunting family out there. It could either be that a pack finally got them, although I bet they would have proclaimed that widely, or another hunting family. There's a lot of rivalry in the hunting world, especially since the Tobias' seemed to have been riding on Zemsta's success." Chris added quietly, the rest of the group popping up with their own theories.

"Do you think that Zemsta got sick of the family piggy backing on her reputation? She could have gone off solo." Allison inserted, looking more worried than before. There was a mumble of anger and tension in the room. Stiles stayed silent, letting them vent and learning about their ideas on Zemsta. It just convinced her more that she could never reveal to them that she was Zemsta. It would break her family's heart.

"Zemsta is the most feared huntress in the supernatural world at the moment. She's deadly, swift and lethal ever since the Tobias' introduced her to the hunting world. There's plenty of rumors circulating about her, but what's true is that she is 100% accurate. If she wants you dead, you're dead." Chris explained to Stiles, his face darkening.

Being with hunters, there was the positive spin and over-exaggeration on whatever she did. But what did the wolves think of her? She'd never had the chance to ask one before. Stiles acted surprised, a horrible feeling curling in her stomach as she tried to push it all back. Her family hated what she had been, but not as much as Stiles did.

"It's all pretty gruesome. It's hard figuring out what's true and what's not, but either way she's pretty darn evil. There are a couple of nicknames that she gets called, but just calling her Zemsta is pretty scary enough." Scott said, face looking worried at the thought of her still being alive. How would he react knowing that he was sitting in the same room as her right now?

"I love the names!" Peter piped up, getting a weird twinkle in his eye. "The Silent Stalker, because she never speaks, or the True Shot, because she never misses! Personally I love the Wolf Slut. Isn't that because she can't keep it in her pants and she's a freak in the sheets?" Peter laughed, earning a growl from Derek at his glee.

"They've linked a lot of wolf deaths to her. She doesn't stick to the code, although she has done some normal hunts that follow it. She's a wicked fighter and a while back we got reports of her killing a whole household of werewolves with just a gun and a knife." Chris added in, looking a bit neutral to it all. He had been a hunter his whole life, but it seemed that even Zemsta shook something in the retired hunter.

"She's every werewolf's worst nightmare, in other words." Derek ended the conversation with his soft words, sadness in his tone indicating that he mourned for those who had been killed by her. Stiles mourned them too, knowing that she had killed so many innocent Weres. There was too much blood on her hands. "On that sour note, I think we better end the meeting if no one else has anything to add. Danny keep us posted on the rumors. If it is the Tobias family, it means there's a threat out there we need to be careful of." The wolves nodded before starting to move.

Parents grabbed sleeping children, quietly saying bye as they slipped out to go home. It didn't take long before the house was almost empty. The Sheriff stretched out, yawning a good night to the two of them before stumbling upstairs. Stiles was still seated on the couch, but her mind was rolling with the new information she had. So word had tumbled out that the Tobias family was dead. It meant that the Garret's would now suspect her and would want to make a break for it. She needed to finish them off as soon as possible.

"You ready to go to bed?" Derek asked Stiles, looking a little exhausted on his feet. Despite the way he looked, there was still an air of calm about him. Derek didn't seem too worried about the possible threat, at least at the moment. Stiles didn't want him to worry about it. If it came right down to it, Stiles would do anything necessary to protect them.

She'd done it before.

* * *

**A/N** Yeah, I'm pretty much the worst at updating. I appreciate everyone reading the story, and sorry for taking forever to get things up. Unforeseen circumstances picked up and I miscalculated how long it was going to take for me to get back on track. I'm not making promises because I don't want to break any.

But here's another chapter! What do you think of Stiles? How do you think the pack would respond to finding out Stiles is Zemsta? What about the pups? Let me know! I love hearing back from everyone. Hopefully I'll update soon :/


	11. Chapter 11

The sunny day was very similar to the day that Stiles had ended the Tobias' lives, so it seemed only fitting in her mind that she kill another link to her hunting life before that link ran off and announced things best left unspoken. The Sheriff's foot had healed up enough for him to go back to work, and Derek was required at the mechanics for a job, leaving Stiles alone in the house. Derek had wanted her to come along, wanting to show her where he worked and as much as Stiles thought that would be interesting, there were more important things she needed to take care of.

The house felt rather empty without others there, but Stiles ignored it, instead walking out to where her SUV was parked. She absolutely loathed the car, the black thing a reminder of her hunting past. There was no doubt that as soon as possible she was going to get rid of the thing. It was signed under a fake identity of Zander's, not traceable to her at all, and she knew that the pack would have looked into it in an attempt to discover more about her.

As Stiles popped the boot and hit the hidden switch, a small electronic pad was revealed underneath the back seat which she quickly typed in the passcode and unlatched the secret compartment. It was a special design that Zander had been incredibly proud of. He had boasted about it, claiming that it kept everything safe from werewolves and hidden from police searches in case they were pulled over. It was rather clever, clever enough to bypass werewolf inquiries. The wolves would have been too curious not to have combed through her car already.

Pulling out her bag that she had hastily packed a week earlier, she threw it over her shoulder before grabbing the metal case that sat at the very bottom. Satisfied that she had grabbed everything, Stiles quickly closed the compartment and made her way back to the house. She'd removed all she wanted from the car so it could be gotten rid of now. Maybe she should get something like the jeep again. Definitely anything was better than the hunter car.

Dumping the bags on her bed, Stiles stared at them for a moment, at odds with what she was about to do. It was an argument going through her head and it was causing her to get antsy about everything. On one hand, these hunters were a threat. With them alive, they could tell others that she was still alive and that could bring certain death to her family. On the other, Stiles didn't want to kill anymore. There was so much blood on her hands that had been forced already, did she really want to have this on her conscious too?

In the end it didn't really matter. This wasn't about Stiles. It was about protecting her pack for the last time. Then she would hang up her gun, hang up the title and just be Stiles. This was another piece of revenge and then her family would be safe and she wouldn't have to be this monster again. It could become a hidden part of her never to be released again and threaten her family's safety. This was going to be it.

With her mind made up, Stiles unzipped the bag and started pulling out all her weaponry, reverent with the dangerous tools she laid out. Several guns, all polished to perfection, several boxes of ammunition, arrows and a sleek and heavy bow, along with knives varying in length and material. The tools of Zemsta's trade stared back at her, the tainted weaponry making her feel sick. She could do this. She had to. It was about keeping her family safe from the final villains, she was certain. This would be it.

It didn't take long until she was completely strapped up, knives sheathed everywhere and hidden with a practiced ease that still scared her and made her heart race. No guns this time, bullets were too traceable and she didn't need anything getting connected back to her. The bow and arrows were hidden strategically in her closet, hidden underneath old clothes left from her previous life. The guns were stored under a loose floorboard under her bed, the ammunition slipping in right next to it. As soon as she could, she'd get rid of it. Satisfied that everything was in its place and well hidden, Stiles unlatched the metal case, carefully inspecting the contents and seeming pleased that nothing was broken.

It was filled with bottles full of different colored liquids. A small sack sat nestled carefully, the soft scent of wolfsbane filling her nose. Pulling out the small green bottle, Stiles locked the case and walked into the kitchen, finding an empty spray bottle and filling it with warm water before adding a few drops of the green concoction. Shaking the spray bottle as she walked back into her room, Stiles replaced the leftover green liquid in the case and hid it in her closet near some shoes. Satisfied that the bottle had been shaken enough, Stiles sprayed a bit in the closet, knowing that the liquid would do its job.

It was a scent masker for those with super sniffers, something that she herself had invented. It consisted of various types of wolfsbane that would trick werewolves and mess with their noses enough that essentially she could hide any scent. The smell of blood and death that hung off her weaponry was now hidden, meaning no werewolf nose would be able to sniff them out and reveal things best left hidden. It was going to come in handy with her next mission.

The final touches included the hair and hat, a reflex response that was too Zemsta for Stiles to ignore. She was to be a huntress right now, so she needed to be everything about that part that she could. Taking a deep breath, Stiles steeled herself for what she was about to do, which was protect her family. Without another thought, Stiles slipped out into the backyard, scaling the fence quickly. Crouching low in the bushes of her neighbor's yard, she focused her senses, relying on conditioned training that was so ingrained, she wasn't sure she'd ever really be able to ignore it.

There was movement from the kitchen, the window facing the backyard. Stiles watched carefully, hidden by the plant life as she saw Martha packing things from the cupboard into a box. Stiles' eyes swept over what she could see from the window, and she just knew that the hunters were packing up. They were probably trying to escape from her before she remembered. It would have been smart had it been anyone but Stiles. There was no escape from her revenge.

Keeping movement slow enough that it wouldn't be noticed by Martha in the kitchen, Stiles crept along the fence until she came to the side of the house, no longer in sight of the kitchen window. The side of the house had several windows and Stiles was confident she could scale up without being seen. It wouldn't be the first time she'd scaled a house, and this one looked relatively easier than the three story mansion she'd been forced to climb a few years back. Plus this was for a better cause.

Her body was lithe and quiet as she climbed up, feet managing to find stable foot holes, body using all her flexibility as she made her way up. A few seconds later and she was on the roof, keeping silent as she took in her surroundings. No one appeared to have heard her getting on the roof, and by the view she had of the street, there was no one who would see her. It helped to live on a street where most people worked during the day.

On the other side of the house, the side that faced Stiles' own home, one of the upstairs windows was opened, so Stiles slid down enough to sneak inside, crouched low and listening for anyone hearing her presence. As she focused her hearing, she picked up someone taping up a box in another room not far from where she was. It seemed she had landed in the master bedroom, boxes covering most of the floor, the mattress-less bed sitting empty in the middle of the room.

"PHIL! You better be packing up that bed!" Martha's voice jolted Stiles slightly, but she was still quiet, listening for movement in another room.

"We can just buy another bed! This takes up so much space, it's just useless to take with us! I'll buy a better one when we get to Canada!" Phil yelled back, exasperation in his voice letting Stiles know this wasn't the first time this had been argued.

"I like that bed! It was a gift from my mother!" Martha yelled up. Stiles crept towards the door, keeping in the shadows and just waiting for her chance to pounce. "It was extremely expensive and it fits in with the whole style of the room!"

"Who cares about style? We are fucking trying to pack up before the Sheriff's kid gets her memory back! The quicker we get out, the better! We should just take the essentials and go!" Phil yelled down, anger in his tone that had Stiles giving a small smirk. They were moving to escape her. Not fast enough it seemed.

"That bed is essential to me! Get your ass onto it or so help me I will break your fishing rods!" Martha roared upstairs, practically ending all discussion on the topic if the grumbling coming from Phil was anything to go by. There were footsteps coming closer that had Stiles preparing for her move, knowing she needed to be quick and efficient.

"The fucking bed! I never even liked it. Her mother is the biggest bitch anyway, knowing I would hate it. May she rot in hell, the whore. It's not an essential piece! It's just slowing us down. Keep going slow, you die!" Phil was audible now as he stepped into the room, eyeing the bed with hatred that had Stiles almost laughing.

"I couldn't agree more." Stiles spoke gently, Phil whipping his head around in surprise just as Stiles pounced. The man smashed into the bed, breaking several slats with his head and knocking himself out. Satisfied that he was out, Stiles grabbed a belt from one of the boxes and tied his arms behind him, throwing the limp figure away from the broken wood.

"THAT BETTER NOT BE MY BED!" Martha screamed in response to the noise, the sounds of her feet stomping up the stairs springing Stiles into action and she waited by the door in the same spot, knowing that any second Martha would spot the motionless Phil. "I will kill-"

Her words were cut off by Stiles springing on her, the woman's head being knocked hard into the doorway and the woman falling limp instantly. Another belt was used to hold her down, Stiles dragging them into the hallway since there seemed a bit more space to move. She could just kill them now, get it over and done with, but she needed a little bit of information out of them first to ensure that things would be okay.

Phil was heavier than Martha, but Stiles had no trouble dragging the limp couple into the hallway before going downstairs to grab a jug of water. She returned and dumped the cold liquid onto the couple, dowsing them awake as they spluttered in surprise.

"You!" Martha sent daggers at Stiles, trying to escape the leather prison, but Stiles had been good with tying her down. She might never have been a scout, but she'd been trained as a hunter and that meant she was a lot better at keeping people tied down.

"Are you really that surprised?" Stiles asked, watching them carefully. They might be tied down, but she couldn't afford to let her guard down. Letting your guard down was a sure way for everything to backfire if she wasn't ready for anything. Fitting back into her persona of Zemsta also seemed to give her enough courage to use her words freely. It was like even her mind could understand the power that Zemsta held, and that as this deadly huntress nothing could hurt her enough no matter what she said.

"You said you didn't remember anything!" Phil suddenly jumped in, eyes going wide with fear. His face was already paling, and it was easy to see who was the leader in the family if their reactions were anything to go by. Phil was ready to pee himself already while Martha was intent on escaping.

"And you believed me." Stiles shook her head in fake disappointment, the dark part of her clawing to the surface as she took in the sight of the two supposed 'retired' hunters. These were the people who had watched her dad, had his life in their hands. They had injured the man, hurt him and hurt Stiles. They had been part of the reason Stiles had killed so many people.

"I guess you're a better actress than we gave you credit for, _Zemsta_." The name was spat out with sarcasm, Martha getting red in the face as she continued to struggle. "Although I don't understand why we aren't dead yet."

"Martha!" Phil hissed between clenched teeth, his frame shaking in fear, eyes glancing around wildly. It was like the man had been hoping that Stiles would have forgotten and just left them alive. It was never an option, letting them live. There was too much danger surrounding it all.

"We told Zander he was a fool to stop threatening you." Martha growled out, and Phil nodded to himself, refusing to look at Stiles anymore.

"He was definitely a fool. I was just biding my time until I could be free from him." Stiles agreed with them, Martha making a noise of disgust as she listened to Stiles.

"You don't know what he did for you. He made you strong, stronger than what you'd be had you stayed here. You would probably be dead by now if it wasn't for him." She threw out between clenched teeth, tugging continuously on the belt as if she could get free. Neither one of them was going to be able to get out of those bindings without help.

"What he did for me?" Stiles gave a dark smirk that she knew was making her look slightly crazed. "He made me into a monster and a killer. There is so much innocent blood on my hands because of him. That isn't right and it was never anything I wanted. But the two of you, you helped him create me by threatening my own father and hurting him to make me comply. That was a terrible mistake."

Stiles felt the anger pumping through her system, just wanting to rip into the two of them and make them suffer the way she had suffered for the last six years, no matter how horrible and torturous that was. The dark part of her was talking, and she was helpless to hold it back any longer. At least the dark part of her understood that there just wasn't time to prolong the torture of their death, something that Stiles was glad for. Torture had never been anything she could stomach.

"He protected your father, too. When he discovered that there was a pack here and that they had taken your father into their fold, he decided not to alert the other hunters in case your father got in the cross fire." Phil rushed with, desperation in his tone and his breathing speeding as reality was sinking in.

"He knew about the pack?" Stiles paused, and that seemed to encourage Phil to talk in case he could convince her to let the two of them go. He should have known better than to think that there was even a remote chance they could escape with their lives. They had done too much to even have a chance.

"He knew. Although we were never sure that you were part of it or if you even knew about it, which we told Zander. He said you had no idea about it otherwise you wouldn't have been so surprised about learning they were real." Phil answered, glancing at his wife with a sliver of hope. There was no hope for them though.

"I did that on purpose. But he protected the pack." Stiles mulled that over in her head before turning to Martha. "You didn't think that was wise." It was written all over the woman's raging face.

"He killed packs without mercy, without the stupid code. I could never understand why he would let the mongrels live if he knew where they were." Martha spat out, looking furious and making Stiles smirk.

"Zander protects his own. That's why we're alive and why we owe him." Phil hissed to his wife, glancing at Stiles with fear. He knew his wife's words weren't going to help them live.

"You mean protect_ed_ his own. He's dead, probably suffering in hell with the rest of that family. And you'll be joining him shortly, because you hurt my father. The bar fight? Did you really think I would let you go after what you did?" Stiles asked them, and Phil was petrified at her tone. They wanted to desperately live, not that Stiles would let them. They were more danger alive than they were dead.

"Please! We don't do stuff like that anymore!" Phil begged, the tears slipping down his face. The begging she had never dealt with, and the dark part of her seemed to enjoy the fear and sobs that escaped the man.

"But you did and would continue to do so in the future. I can't take that chance. Plus, you know who I really am and where I am." Stiles told them, slipping out her large knife from her boot and taking a few steps forward.

"W-we aren't the only ones who know who you are! You'll never be safe!" Martha yelled out at Stiles with a hint of dangerous hysteria. "They'll come for you and kill your fucking pack!" Stiles paused, watching the woman carefully before relaxing.

"You're lying. You didn't tell anyone. Guess that answers all my questions." Stiles felt calmer, her dangerous smirk firmly in place. Knowing that this was the end, Martha lunged at Stiles. It was easy to kick the woman off, Martha tumbling backwards and falling down the stairs, the tumbling loud until there was an audible snap that cut off the yells from the woman suddenly. Phil was gasping, seeming to be in the midst of a panic attack.

"You – You killed my wife!" Phil seemed unable to comprehend anything, breaths coming in shorter, face turning red and tears streaming down his face in confusion.

"Do me a favor, Phil." The man jerked his head up to Stiles who kicked him backwards, his own body helpless underneath her dark boots "When you see Zander in hell, tell him I send my love." Stiles gave a false smile, so full of venom, that she almost laughed as Phil literally peed himself in fear, the man completely terrified. Before he could utter another noise, Stiles sliced his throat and watched him gurgle for a moment, his eyes quickly fading and staying open in shock. The stench of urine seemed to wake her up as she had been too focused on watching him die.

Pulling out the spray from her belt, Stiles started spraying everywhere she had been, knowing her scent blocker would prevent any curious wolves from discovering her part in the death of the two hunters. She went into a couple of rooms and threw down boxes, spilling the contents and throwing things around to make it look like a robbery gone wrong. The gloves she wore prevented finger prints and she continued throughout the house, avoiding the crumpled body at the bottom of the stairs that was slowly building up a pool of blood. There was even blood starting to drip down the stairs from what had leaked from Phil. It was satisfying hearing the slight drip of the liquid, enough to calm the dark part of Stiles as she reigned in control.

The kitchen was smashed to pieces quickly, and Stiles opened the back door, breaking it on the opposite side to fake someone breaking in. Spraying the last of her blocker around just to ensure that it couldn't be linked back to her at all, Stiles climbed back over the fence and quickly got changed, showering just in case and hiding her knives. A moment later and she was seated in front of the TV, watching one of the DVDs that Scott had sent over for her to watch.

It was in the middle of the movie that it hit Stiles. She had just killed two people. After all the people she had killed, it shouldn't have been a surprise, but she had killed two people living right next door to her. There were two dead bodies lying in the house next door, eyes sightless because of what she had done to them. A second later she was rushing to the bathroom to chuck up her stomach contents, coughing slightly and trying to calm her breathing down.

She was repulsed by herself, but it had been necessary. That was it, though. She was done. She didn't need to kill again, didn't need to pick up those weapons and fight someone again. She was with a stable pack who were strong and wouldn't need her to help them. She could just relax and let them take over. Her days of killing were in the past. At least she hoped.

She threw up again.

* * *

**A/N **Two updates so close! Man, I want to get this out since most of it is written. I know they aren't long updates, but I separated them for a reason. A reason which I do not remember at this moment. But I killed the Garrets! That was actually really satisfying. I contemplated being meaner (seriously, it was a dark, dark killing scene) but I couldn't kill these guys worse than I killed Zander. So here ya go.

I've been reigning in my dark side, so I think in some future story I'll have to write something dark and horrible so y'all understand the terribleness that my mind is. Let me know what you think! You're words are like crack to me! Aaaand I'm looking for a beta!


	12. Chapter 12

By the time Derek had gotten back to the house from the mechanics, Stiles had finished making spaghetti, somewhat recovered from her freak out. Her father joined not soon after and they sat together for yet another quiet meal. Stiles refused to dwell on the fact that next door she had left two dead bodies, ignoring the pang in her stomach that threatened to make her heave again.

The awkwardness was still there, and Stiles was in no mood to even try and stop it from continuing. Derek talked a bit about the bike he was fixing up, the Sheriff commenting to keep conversation going. They tried to get Stiles to contribute, but she barely glanced up at them, the two eventually giving up to chat about motors and whatnot. As if Stiles just hadn't killed two people. But she wasn't thinking about that, not at all.

She couldn't help it.

It was after dinner, and Stiles was relaxing in the lounge, eyes focused on the blank TV screen as Derek showered. The room was stuffy, but Stiles ignored the temperature, not bothered to get up and open the window. Two dead people, right next door. Had it been Zemsta who had killed them or Stiles? She was inclined to push towards Zemsta because of the whole revenge angle, but she felt like a monster. Stiles was a monster. There wasn't really a way to separate herself like that because she was a monster. Zemsta was her and Stiles was Zemsta. There was no escaping that or shifting blame.

"Are you alright, Stiles?" Derek asked, walking into the room and seeing her pale expression. The need to vomit was back, but she pushed it down. She had excellent control of her emotions, a learned talent when being a huntress. Nodding her head, Stiles avoided Derek's eyes, knowing that his expression would be full of sadness. She couldn't deal with that tonight. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right? You can't keep things bottled up forever."

"Watch me." Stiles mumbled, barely registering the words escaping her throat. Bottled up, she knew it would fester inside of her, eating her inside out until she would soon become nothing. But if she told someone then it would eat them up too. She refused to condemn someone to the life she had no choice but be haunted by. The secret was safer if no one knew. She'd even just killed to ensure it stayed hidden.

The expression that crossed Derek's face was painful to look at, like he was desperate to help but Stiles refused to let him. It was like a sharp pain to her chest, but she had done everything to protect the pack. She hated that statement, hated knowing it was true. It left the taste of bile in her mouth worse than when she actually threw up. She had protected the pack for so long, at the cost of herself. Now she finally had a chance to stop.

"Everything alright in here?" The Sheriff asked, walking into the room after finishing the dishes. Derek sighed out, shaking his head but giving up at least for the moment. He went over the window, opening it to let a fresh breeze roll inside and replace the stuffiness that was slowly suffocating the room. Or that suffocating could just have been in Stiles' mind. But then Derek froze suddenly and growled, his eyes turning the alpha red.

"What's wrong?" John was already grabbing his gun, eyes swiveling around in slight trepidation, seeming ready to jump at a moment's notice. Derek went closer to the window, sniffing and growling before looking over at Stiles.

"I smell blood and death." He growled before running out the door. The Sheriff swore and followed after him, looking at Stiles with an expression that told her she better stay put. She watched him leave, her stomach desperately trying to let her contents back out, but she held it down with a sour taste on her tongue, wanting to stop feeling sick about what she had done. She had to admit she was surprised that the Garrets were going to be discovered already though.

A moment later and Derek returned, looking disturbed and a bit pale. His eyes landed on Stiles and he came over swiftly, pulling her into a tight hug before moving back to explain his crazy reaction.

"Someone killed the Garrets." He seemed to be in shock, and Stiles was worried that maybe he was disgusted with how she had killed them. Albeit she had pushed one down the stairs and let gravity and the house do the killing, but was it too horrible? "You didn't see or hear anything today?" Derek urged her to answer and Stiles took a moment to really look at him. He didn't seem disgusted from what she could tell, but more looked like he was worried for her safety. As if he was worried that whoever killed the Garrets would be after Stiles next. She wasn't used to that kind of concern.

"No." She lied easily. It wasn't technically a lie since she hadn't heard anything from the house she was currently in. The only noise had been the couple yelling at each other then screaming as they died. There was no way that it could be connected to her, though. She'd been careful enough.

* * *

It didn't take long before the entire street had police presence, neighbors opening their doors and standing in their gardens to try and see what was going on. The Sheriff had walked back into the house pale faced; asking if Stiles had seen anyone and if anyone had approached her. It really hit her how worried everyone was for her and not the fact that two hunters were now dead. It made her wonder about the relationship between the pack and the 'retired' hunters.

"I don't know how long everyone is going to be next door. It's going to probably be a busy night." The Sheriff checked in on them to let them know that the bodies were about to be bagged. Derek hadn't left Stiles' side, glancing around every so often while Stiles was silent. She didn't give anything away, instead choosing to stay emotionless. Lying to her father wasn't exactly what she had wanted, but then again the need to protect him was stronger than the need to come clean.

"I can take her to my house, John. She should be safe there." Derek offered and her father relaxed before nodding and Derek ushered Stiles upstairs to grab some clothes. All of what Stiles currently owned were things Lydia had picked up after realizing Stiles was back and in desperate need of clothing. A shopping trip was promised in the near future, but for now Stiles had been making do with the little amount she had.

Derek didn't waste any time in getting the two of them far away from the crime scene, seeming a bit agitated and constantly checking out the window as if he was sure danger was just around the corner. If only he knew the danger was actually right beside him and under his protection. It didn't take long thanks to Derek's speeding before they were going up the old driveway. Stiles watched as the house slowly came into view, her eyes widening as she took it all in.

It wasn't at all what she'd imagined, somehow better than she'd thought. Gone was the blackened wood that had haunted the land; instead a large, three storied, white home stood in its place. It was similar yet still different to how it used to be, as if Derek was trying to preserve the old but create a new atmosphere for his new pack. It was perfect.

Stiles was still silent as Derek let her inside, giving her the grand tour and looking proud of all the work and effort that had gone into creating this home. All the rooms were big and inviting, photos and paintings hanging off the wall. Derek told Stiles how it had been a combined effort with building the house, the pack having torn it down and helping rebuild it along with hired contractors. Lydia had taken over the interior decoration, but Derek hadn't seemed upset by it, even praising the woman's choices.

Up the stairs were several bedrooms, all in different colors and looking lived in and loved, as if the pack often stayed the night. There was a large study downstairs with the pack library that they had been building up, and Stiles recognized familiar titles she had been forced to study while held captive. The rush of memories associated were quickly pushed out of her mind as she followed Derek quietly.

They stopped in the kitchen which was extremely large and open, Derek leaning against the counter and looking a bit more comfortable here than he'd ever looked at her own house. An easy silence swept over them, Stiles leaning against a cupboard door while Derek watched her carefully, as if trying to gauge her reaction to the place.

"It's perfect." She whispered, watching the blooming smile spill across Derek's face, shoulders sagging in relief. It surprised her that he cared so much about her opinion of the place, not realizing that he deemed her opinion actually important. He looked at ease, the happiness easily detected on his face. Gone was the broody face and the frown lines that threatened to stay permanent all those years ago. He hadn't threatened to rip her throat out once, or hadn't even stated that he was the alpha. This was a different person, a different man. He was an alpha who cared about everyone in his pack like an alpha was supposed to. He even cared for her. As undeserving as she was of it.

"You can just pick a room to sleep in. Tonight you should be safe, and I'll be able to hear if something does happen. Nothing should happen anyway since it looked like whoever killed the Garret had done it hours ago. Long enough to get far away from here." Derek finally said, his face taking a more serious expression, reminding Stiles of what she'd done today. There was no way she was deserving of the kindness she was being extended, even if it was to protect them. Protecting the pack had cursed her soul and she was ruined now.

He walked past her, hand briefly touching her shoulder before wishing her goodnight and going into his own room. As she heard the door close, Stiles looked around the kitchen once more before walking to the upstairs rooms. It was just a bed for her to sleep in, so she went into the brown room, quickly getting dressed before slipping underneath the covers. Today she had killed two people and the thought almost had her heart racing before she controlled it in case Derek got worried and came to investigate. Taking deep breaths, she calmed herself and let sleep take over, hoping that she could somehow grasp onto a sense of normalcy soon instead of waiting for the next hammer to drop.

* * *

_The Hale mansion stood majestically in front of her, beautiful and proud in the bright sunlight. Derek sat on the front porch, a couple of the pups gathered at his feet as he played with them, laughing loudly as he was jumped by the little bodies. Stiles knew the rest of the pack was inside, and a moment later the pups ran to find their parents. _

_Derek spotted Stiles standing in the driveway and walked over. Suddenly an arrow appeared in his shoulder, surprise etched in his face as he dropped swiftly to the ground, blood pooling around his body. Stiles yelled out before racing to him, only to be intercepted by Zander, blood dripping from the gaping knife wound in his chest, the burns covering half his face. _

"_This is what happens to those who oppose the family!" Blood sprayed from his lips, eyes wide and crazy as he cackled madly. The alpha was writhing on the ground beside him, veins going black and thick, dark liquid oozing from his mouth. Before Stiles could help, the house erupted into flames, large and dangerous as screams filled the air. _

"_The pack!" Derek coughed horribly, eyes wide with horror and fear as Zander continued to cackle. _

"_No! Stop this!" Stiles screamed, attempting to run to the fire and save the pack, but arms grabbed her and halted her from moving. She jerked around, turning to see so many faces and burned bodies staring back at her. She knew it was all those she had killed before. _

"_You did this to us. Now it's your turn." The biggest one told her, a bullet wound on his forehead dripping with dark, red liquid. A second later and Stiles saw her father held by wolves, his face bloodied as tears dripped down his bruised cheeks. _

"_I told you if you went against me that I would get your father. You've killed too many, Stiles. It's time someone you loved paid for your murders." Zander cackled with joy, the knife in his fingers plunging into her father's chest. _

"_NO!" Stiles screamed, falling to her knees as her father looked at her square in the eyes with fear and hatred towards her. _

"_You did this to us, Stiles. You're a monster." He told her with a pale face, dropping next to a motionless Derek in a pool of black and red blood from the two of them. Zander gurgled happily as he dropped to the ground, the rest of those she killed tumbling right after her. The house swiftly followed, leaving her alone. _

"_No, please no! I did what I had to! I was always protecting you! Please, no!" She dropped to her knees, panic and fear causing her to scream out with anguish. _

"Stiles! Come on, calm down! It's okay, everything is okay. Shh, please." A desperate voice jolted her from her dream, her eyes blinking swiftly, the sweat still dripping down her forehead as her heart rate started climbing down. Breathing heavily, unable to stop the fear that escaped from her, Stiles wildly looked around, realizing it was Derek who had been the one to wake her up. A whimper escaped her throat before she clutched at him, refusing to cry, instead just holding him close and reveling in the fact that he wasn't dead. It had just been a bad dream.

"Sorry." Stiles croaked out, throat feeling raw from her screaming. She tried to push away from his arms in embarrassment, but he wouldn't let her budge. He didn't say anything, instead picking her up and walking with her in the darkness. It wouldn't have been too difficult for Stiles to get out of his arms, but she felt a strange sense of protection and calm while he held her, and she was at a moment of weakness. She'd never had a nightmare that vicious before and the adrenaline was still pumping through her system.

It was obvious he was taking her up to his room, and that furthered the sense of peace she felt. Before long she was placed gently on the mattress, Derek joining her a second later. He didn't say anything as he pulled her close, not asking about what she had dreamt or even hinting that he wanted to know. He just let her relax into him, her fingers clutching his singlet, refusing to let go.

"Who were you protecting?" He eventually whispered into the dark, and Stiles stiffened minutely, knowing that the reaction hadn't passed him. Instead of answering, she buried her face into his chest and curled into him, as if he could protect her from the thoughts that erupted through her mind. The way Zander had laughed in her nightmare was scary enough, but the words her father had told her had scared her the most. She was a monster, and she was scared of herself and what she had done. Surely there was no way that all she had done would go unpunished.

* * *

The next morning they were woken up by shouting downstairs alerting them of the pack arriving for breakfast. Stiles was still curled into Derek, grateful that she hadn't had another nightmare. There was only so much she could take at the moment, and she was still feeling slightly on edge after last night. Derek rolled out of bed and joined them downstairs, groaning as he heard screaming from little kids. Stiles waited a few moments, enjoying the peace and comfort that came from the alpha's bed before going downstairs for food.

Allison and Wendy were busy preparing food in the kitchen, Scott entertaining the kids with an interactive story that involved him chasing them around the house before Allison yelled at them to stop or they weren't getting any bacon. Felix looked scandalized and promptly sat in his spot, wide eyed and determined not to miss out on any meat while Nina was squirming around, unable to sit still for very long.

"Good morning, Stiles. You doing okay? Sheriff told us what happened." Isaac asked as he sat next to his son, seeing Derek go straight for the coffee pot and pour himself a drink. Stiles still felt jittery after last night and refused a cup, knowing the caffeine would just make things worse for her.

"They haven't found who did it yet?" Derek asked as he drank his coffee, looking at anyone to answer his question as Lydia walked in, dragging her daughter who looked incredibly stubborn at the moment.

"But I wanted to wear my ballerina shoes!" The little girl stomped her foot, face going almost as red as her hair.

"If you wear those shoes all the time then you can't wear them to dance because they'll break. Do you want to continue ballet?" Lydia looked annoyed at her daughter who huffed instead of answering, sitting next to the alpha and crossing her arms in anger. Lydia threw her hands in the air and grabbed a cup of coffee herself. "Tim came in this morning after being out all night. He said it looked like a regular break in that seemed to go wrong. Said he couldn't sniff anything out."

"I had the same problem. Nothing but the couple, which isn't right. I should have been able to detect at least the slightest scent of whoever did it." Derek looked irritated, leaning back against his chair with a curious expression. "Is there anything that could mask a human's scent? Unless it isn't human."

"We are not dealing with another Kanima." Lydia pointed at Derek, as if her anger could stop it from happening. "Not again. But I guess it's possible about masking the scent. I'll have to do a bit of digging. If it's blocking out their scent to werewolves, that screams a bit hunter though. Could a hunter have come and just, you know, gotten rid of them?"

"There wasn't a reason. The Garret's were retired." Isaac jumped in, ruffling his son's hair as he whined for food. "Despite our suspicions, we couldn't pin anything on them that would allow us to get rid of them without repercussion."

"There would always have been repercussion if we got rid of them. The code isn't a fan favorite in the hunting world meaning we would have been eradicated first." Lydia sat down next to her daughter who refused to look at her mother, arms folded and lips in a tight line.

"Either way, they won't be an issue anymore. It obviously wasn't us, as will become apparent very soon. Everyone knew they were retired, so it just looks like a break in gone wrong." Scott dismissed, picking his daughter from the carrier she was in, holding out a bottle to the grabby baby who was oblivious by the serious discussion happening around her.

"There's still the issue of someone managing to disarm two well-trained hunters and eradicate them without leaving a trace. That sounds like a hit job." Wendy pointed out as she placed scrambled eggs in front of the kids, their faces lighting up as they dug into the food.

"What happened to the Sheriff's neighbors?" Nina asked around a mouthful of toast, eyes wide and innocent as she looked at her dad. Scott was taken aback, seeming to have forgotten about the little ears around them. He looked around for help, and Allison seemed to take pity on him.

"Someone came into their house and hurt them. They're up in heaven now." Allison said carefully, watching her daughter who seemed to mull it over and then shrug.

"Good. I didn't like them. Mr. Garret didn't ever give us candy like Mrs. Thompson on the other side of the Sheriff's house." Felix said firmly, eating his toast and not noticing the raised eyebrows from the adults around him.

"I'm not too sure they're in heaven." Scott mumbled under his breath, earning a glare from Allison which made him shut up quickly. "So you're worried something could be out there that threatens us?" Scott quickly turned the question to Derek who shrugged as he grabbed a plate of food.

"Whatever happened, it's a cause for worry. Blocking scents like that isn't something I've come across before. We just need to be wary and make sure whoever does it doesn't harm us." Derek said firmly and the rest of the pack agreed before grabbing their own plates and digging into the food. Stiles watched it all, seeing the ease that everyone had around each other, all looking happy with present company. It seemed to soothe part of Stiles, a feeling of peace enveloping her. Her family was safe.

* * *

**A/N **Hey-o here is the dealio. Trying to get this done in the next week. Making no promises. Learning to condense author notes since I don't think people appreciate the long, crazy babbles from my head. Let me know what you think of the story!


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